scavenger
[ skav-in-jer ]
/ ˈskæv ɪn dʒər /
noun
an animal or other organism that feeds on dead organic matter.
a person who searches through and collects items from discarded material.
a street cleaner.
Chemistry.
a chemical that consumes or renders inactive the impurities in a mixture.
Words nearby scavenger
scauper,
scaur,
scavenge,
scavenge pump,
scavenge stroke,
scavenger,
scavenger beetle,
scavenger hunt,
scavenger's daughter,
scd,
sce
Example sentences from the Web for scavenger
British Dictionary definitions for scavenger
scavenger
/ (ˈskævɪndʒə) /
noun
a person who collects things discarded by others
any animal that feeds on decaying organic matter, esp on refuse
a substance added to a chemical reaction or mixture to counteract the effect of impurities
a person employed to clean the streets
Derived forms of scavenger
scavengery, nounWord Origin for scavenger
C16: from Anglo-Norman
scawager, from Old Norman French
escauwage examination, from
escauwer to scrutinize, of Germanic origin; related to Flemish
scauwen
Scientific definitions for scavenger
scavenger
[ skăv′ən-jər ]
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.