/ skraʊndʒ; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
scrounge (sth) (off / from sb) | scrounge (for sth) ( informal , disapproving ) to get sth from sb by asking them for it rather than by paying for it
SYN cadge :
[ vn ]
He's always scrounging free meals off us.
[ v ]
What is she scrounging for this time?
► scroun·ger noun :
a campaign against welfare scroungers
■ noun
•
IDIOMS
- on the scrounge
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 20th cent.: variant of dialect scrunge steal .