v.
Pronunciation: ' ska-v ə nj, -vinj
Function: verb
Inflected Form: scav · enged ; scav · eng · ing
Etymology: back-formation from scavenger
Date: circa 1644
transitive verb
1 a (1) : to remove (as dirt or refuse) 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 (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
intransitive verb : to work or act as a scavenger