/skav"in jeuhr/ , n.
1. an animal or other organism that feeds on dead organic matter.
2. a person who searches through and collects items from discarded material.
3. a street cleaner.
4. Chem. a chemical that consumes or renders inactive the impurities in a mixture.
[ 1520-30; earlier scavager scawageour, equiv. to ( e ) scawage inspection ( escaw ( er ) to inspect schauwen to look at (c. SHOW) + -age -AGE) + -eour -OR 2 ]