Dictionary

scrounge en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈskɹaʊ̯nd͡ʒ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɹaːnd͡ʒ/ Pittsburgh, General South African, /aʊ̯/-monophthongization
• /ˈskɹæʊ̯nd͡ʒ/ Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand

Etymology

1915, alteration of dialectal scrunge ("to search stealthily, rummage, pilfer") (1909), of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal scringe ("to pry about"); or perhaps related to scrouge, scrooge ("push, jostle") (1755, also Cockney slang for "a crowd"), probably suggestive of screw, squeeze. Popularized by the military in World War I.

Meanings

1. Someone who scrounges; a scrounger.
2. An act of scrounging; a trip taken for the purpose of scrounging.
   • "Still, it's not much good sending you two off on a medical supplies scrounge. What about food and general stores? Suit you?" 1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 107:

Forms

Relateds

scrouge · scringe · scrooge · scrunge

scrounge en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈskɹaʊ̯nd͡ʒ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskɹaːnd͡ʒ/ Pittsburgh, General South African, /aʊ̯/-monophthongization
• /ˈskɹæʊ̯nd͡ʒ/ Southern US, Midland US, Mid-Atlantic US, New York City, Australia, New Zealand

Etymology

1915, alteration of dialectal scrunge ("to search stealthily, rummage, pilfer") (1909), of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal scringe ("to pry about"); or perhaps related to scrouge, scrooge ("push, jostle") (1755, also Cockney slang for "a crowd"), probably suggestive of screw, squeeze. Popularized by the military in World War I.

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean.
   • scrounge for food
   • For example, the PC may have been caught slipping unobtrusively into a restaurant or pub on his ground to scrounge […] a drink or a meal. 1995, Verbatim, volume 22, number 3, page 13:
   • Laura snatches coins from inside a truck to make a telephone call, scrounges shoes and clothes for them at a municipal beach, schemes to get a room key so she and Howie can sleep overnight in the Starlight Motel, steals a Jeepster from a deputy sheriff who's trying to arrest them. 1987 November 8, Ron Hansen, “CHILDREN'S BOOKS; DISCOVERING THE OPPOSITE SEX”, in The New York Times:
   • When I was a young soldier, and had not yet acquired the tobacco vice (which began with scrounging cigarettes at routemarch halts when everyone else lit up and I felt left out) I used to win cross-country races. 2009, George MacDonald Fraser, The Complete McAuslan, →ISBN:
   • The booty bandits, who craved sex with the weaker inmates, and the merchants, rich with scrounged or stolen items who kept safe through an uncanny craft to barter anything, followed. 2000, Rob Taft, Leaders of the City, page 23:
   • Now you don't seem so proud about having to be scrounging your next meal. 1965, Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone”:
2. (intransitive) To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another.
   • As long as he's got someone who'll let him scrounge off them, he'll never settle down and get a full-time job.

Forms

Deriveds

scrounger · scrounge out · scrounge up · on the scrounge · scrounge down

Relateds

scrounger

Synonyms

beg · scunge · tap · scrounge · cadge (obtain from another) · sponge (obtain from another) · wheedle · blag (obtain from another) · mump · mooch (obtain from another) · bum · leech (obtain from another) · freeload (obtain from another)

Translations (28)

ru собирать (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · fr profiter (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · ru выпра́шивать (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · tr otlakçılık etmek (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · mi whakapati (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · tr yürütmek (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · nl bij elkaar scharrelen (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · de klauben (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · mi pīnono (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · mi pītoto (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · de abstauben (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · nl schooien (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · fr glaner (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · nl bietsen (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · mi pati (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · fr quémander (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · bg отмъквам (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · fi pummata (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · mi kaimātai (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · de schnorren (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · tr aşırmak (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · de stibitzen (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · it scroccare (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · mi pītoto (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · bg задигам (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · ru выцыга́нивать (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another) · it battere cassa (To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean) · nl achterover drukken (To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another)