Meanings
verbscavenge (third-person singular simple present scavenges, present participle scavenging, simple past and past participle scavenged)
present singular third person scavenges · participle present scavenging · participle past scavenged · past scavenged
- transitiveTo remove unwanted material from something, especially to purify molten metal by removing impurities.
- transitiveTo expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, and draw in air for the next cycle.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo collect and remove refuse, or to search through refuse, carrion, or abandoned items for useful material.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Back-formation from scavenger. Compare messenger and passenger.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian събирам смет, продухвам
- събирам смет (săbiram smet)to collect and remove refuse
- продухвам (produhvam)to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
Chinese 拾荒
- 拾荒 (shíhuāng)to collect and remove refuse
Chinese Mandarin 撿垃圾 /捡垃圾
- 撿垃圾 /捡垃圾 (jiǎn lājī)to collect and remove refuse
Dutch vuil ophalen, reinigen
- vuil ophalento collect and remove refuse
- reinigento remove unwanted material
French ramasser les ordures, nettoyer
- ramasser les orduresto collect and remove refuse
- nettoyerto remove unwanted material
German durchstöbern, reinigen
- durchstöbernto collect and remove refuse
- reinigento remove unwanted material
- entschlackento remove unwanted material
- entgasento expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
- ausstoßento expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
Hungarian guberál, kukázik
- guberálto collect and remove refuse
- kukázikto collect and remove refuse
- eltakarítto remove unwanted material
- kitisztítto remove unwanted material
- tisztítto remove unwanted material
- kiöblítto remove unwanted material
- átöblítto remove unwanted material
- öblítto remove unwanted material
- kifúvatto expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
- átfúvatto expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
- dögöt/hulladékot eszikto feed on carrion or refuse
- dögevőto feed on carrion or refuse
Irish cart
- cartto feed on carrion or refuse
Italian rovistare, frugare
- rovistareto collect and remove refuse
- frugareto collect and remove refuse
Māori paraketu, hamu
- paraketuto collect and remove refuse
- hamuto collect and remove refuse
- hamuhamuto collect and remove refuse
- hamuhamuto feed on carrion or refuse
Polish żerować
- żerowaćto collect and remove refuse
Portuguese catar
- catarto collect and remove refuse
Russian рыться в отбросах, очищать
- рыться в отбросах (v)to collect and remove refuse
- очищать (očiščatʹ)to remove unwanted material
- продувать (produvatʹ)to expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine
- питаться падалью (pitatʹsja)to feed on carrion or refuse
Spanish pepenar, carroñear
- pepenarto collect and remove refuse
- carroñearto feed on carrion or refuse
Cite this entry
APA
scavenge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scavenge
MLA
“scavenge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scavenge. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scavenge,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scavenge.
Source: scavenge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.