Scavenger definition
A person who gathers things that have been discarded by others, as a junkman.
noun
An animal, such as a vulture or housefly, that feeds on dead or decaying matter.
noun
(chiefly brit.) A person employed to clean the streets, collect refuse, etc.
noun
An animal that feeds on dead organisms, especially a carnivorous animal that eats dead animals rather than or in addition to hunting live prey. Vultures, hyenas, and wolves are scavengers.
Anything that removes impurities, refuse, etc.
noun
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One that scavenges, as a person who searches through refuse for useful items.
noun
(chemistry) A substance added to a mixture to remove or inactivate impurities.
noun
Any animal that eats refuse and decaying organic matter.
noun
An animal, such as a vulture or housefly, that feeds on dead or decaying matter.
noun
(chemistry) A substance added to a mixture to remove or inactivate impurities.
noun
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The definition of a scavenger is a person, animal or insect who takes what others have left or thrown away.
An example of a scavenger is a vulture.
An example of a scavenger is someone who takes usable items from dumpsters.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
scavenger
Plural:
scavengersOrigin of scavenger
- Alteration of Middle English scauager, schavager official charged with street maintenance from Anglo-Norman scawager toll collector from scawage a tax on the goods of foreign merchants from Flemish scauwen to look at, show
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English scavager, from Old French scawageour (“one who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax collector"), from Old French *scawage, *scavage, escavage, escauwage (“scavage"), alteration of escauvinghe (compare also Medieval Latin scewinga, sceawinga), from Middle English schewing (“inspection, examination"), from Old English scÄ“awung (“reconnoitering, surveying, inspection, examination, scrutiny"), equivalent to showing.
From Wiktionary