scavenged; scavenging
1
a(1)
: to remove (dirt, refuse, etc.) from an area
(2)
: to clean away dirt or refuse from : cleanse
scavenge a street
b
: to feed on (carrion or refuse)
2
a
: to remove (burned gases) from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine after a working stroke
b
: to remove (something, such as an undesirable constituent) from a substance or region by chemical or physical means
c
: to clean and purify (molten metal) by taking up foreign elements in chemical union
3
: to salvage from discarded or refuse material
also
: to salvage usable material from
: to work or act as a scavenger
Examples of scavenge in a Sentence
Rats scavenged in the trash.
The bears scavenged the woods for food.
He scavenged the town dump for automobile parts.
Recent Examples on the Web
Grizzlies tend to be opportunistic, but investigators concluded this wasn’t scavenging.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
People are going around scavenging from construction sites and breaking apart wood pallets from ships that deliver food.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Scientifically known as Otodus megalodon, the Neogene-era shark is estimated to have reached lengths of 50 to 65 feet (15 to 20 meters) and once belonged to a lineage of sharks that evolved during the Cenozoic era, becoming increasingly specialized for preying on and scavenging marine mammals.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Previous excavations have found evidence that a mammoth was killed or scavenged at the site, according to a statement from the University of Wyoming.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scavenge
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Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
People are going around scavenging from construction sites and breaking apart wood pallets from ships that deliver food.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Scientifically known as Otodus megalodon, the Neogene-era shark is estimated to have reached lengths of 50 to 65 feet (15 to 20 meters) and once belonged to a lineage of sharks that evolved during the Cenozoic era, becoming increasingly specialized for preying on and scavenging marine mammals.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
Previous excavations have found evidence that a mammoth was killed or scavenged at the site, according to a statement from the University of Wyoming.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scavenge
Cite this Entry
“Scavenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scavenge. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scavenge
verb
scav·enge
ˈskav-ənj 
-inj
scavenged; scavenging
: to collect usable things from what has been discarded
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