noun
scavenger
SKAV-uhn-juh
noun
1
A person who searches through discarded items for useful things.
"The scavenger found an old bicycle in the skip."
2
An animal that feeds on carrion or waste rather than hunting live prey.
"Vultures are scavengers that clean up carcasses left by predators."
How to Use Scavenger
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone (or some animal) that survives by finding and using what others have left behind or discarded.
Common pairings
scavenger hunt
natural scavenger
Word Forms
scavengered past tense, scavengers plural, scavengers singular
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Etymology
From Middle English scavager, originally referring to a tax collector or inspector of goods, later reinterpreted as coming from "scavenge" plus "-er."