noun

1. a person who gathers things that have been discarded by others, as a junkman
2. any animal that eats refuse and decaying organic matter
3. anything that removes impurities, refuse, etc.
4. Chiefly Brit. a person employed to clean the streets, collect refuse, etc.

Etymology: ME scavager < Anglo-Fr scawage, inspection < NormFr escauwer, to inspect < Fl scawen or Frank scouwon, to peer at, observe, akin to OE sceawian, show