scavenge

USAGE SUMMARY

'scavenge' is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is usually used as a verb, meaning to search for something among discarded items. Example sentence: The neighborhood cats often scavenge in dumpsters for scraps.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Stray dogs scavenge in amongst the streets and drunk men sit slumped together under an old tree.

The Guardian

Highly skilled professionals pretend they are "consultants", but can't scavenge a living from fast-fading contacts.

The Guardian - Opinion

For a reporter it was a bittersweet moment: a reminder of an age when newspapers threw off profits so vast that an American press magnate could scavenge the globe for endangered treasures, prising heirlooms from Old World nobles before shipping them by the ton to his Californian lair.Today, all is stood on its head.

The Economist

Some designs beam energy to a receiving coil in an implanted device, and others use an external pacemaker that wirelessly stimulates an electrode implanted in the heart.Another possibility is to scavenge energy from the natural processes occurring in the patient's body.

The Economist

Many go from one organisation to the next both Islamic and secular to scavenge as much support as they can, regardless of politics or ideology.

The Economist

The animals scavenge on the carcasses of cows and donkeys.

The Economist

Another is to scavenge energy from the motion of the lungs as they contract and expand during the breathing process.

The Economist

Venkatesh enumerates those having a harder time in the face of the recession: office cleaners, squeegee men, informal security guards, "canners" who scavenge for recyclables (there's less consumption now, so less to recycle) and nannies whose employers have been laid off.

The Economist

They scavenge the skins from a nearby market, one explained, then sell them plucked for a few cents.

The Economist

The grizzly bears that scavenge the wolf kills are having a fine time.

The Economist

He would scavenge carrots, potatoes or a piece of bread more sawdust than bread and smuggle it back for the scrubbed-out laundry kettle his mother kept simmering on the stove.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Apply this verb to describe opportunistic behavior in both animals and humans without necessarily implying a negative or 'dirty' context.

Common error

While some predators do both, "scavenge" specifically refers to feeding on organisms that are already dead or collecting items that have already been discarded. Do not use it to describe the act of pursuing and killing live prey.

Linguistic Context

The word "scavenge" functions primarily as a verb that can be used both transitively and intransitively. According to Ludwig AI, it describes the act of searching for and collecting discarded items or feeding on carrion. It also serves a specialized technical function in engineering and chemistry to describe the removal of unwanted materials or gases.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "scavenge" is a highly versatile verb that bridges the gap between biological survival and high-tech engineering. Ludwig AI shows that it is most frequently used in high-authority news and scientific contexts to describe the opportunistic collection of resources—whether that be animals feeding on carrion, people salvaging materials from waste, or sensors harvesting ambient energy. Its usage is considered Correct and standard, provided the writer distinguishes it from active hunting or direct production. From the pages of The Economist to technical descriptions in Britannica, "scavenge" remains an essential term for describing the recovery of value from what has been left behind.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

forage

implies searching for food or provisions, typically in a wild or natural setting

salvage

focuses on rescuing usable items from wreckage or waste

scrounge

more informal, suggesting a persistent search for something small or specific

rummage

emphasizes a messy or thorough search through a collection of items

rake through

implies an intensive, often physical search through debris or piles

glean

often used for information or small remnants left by others

reclaim

refers to the process of recovering material for reuse in an industrial context

sift through

suggests a careful, selective examination of a large amount of material

comb through

indicates a very systematic and detailed search

prowl

describes the predatory or stealthy movement often associated with searching

FAQs

How to use scavenge in a sentence?

You can use it to describe animals or people searching for resources, such as: "Stray dogs often "scavenge" for food in urban areas."

What is the difference between scavenge and forage?

While both involve searching for food, "forage" usually implies looking for wild plants or natural resources, whereas "scavenge" typically implies looking through refuse or carrion.

Can I use scavenge for energy or technology?

Yes, in engineering, it is common to "scavenge energy" from ambient sources like vibration, heat, or radio waves.

Is scavenge a formal word?

It is a "neutral" to formal word, frequently appearing in scientific reports, technical manuals, and high-quality journalism.