Definition

1. Noun:
   • An animal that feeds on dead organic material: A scavenger is any animal that consumes refuse, carrion, or other decaying organic matter as its primary food source.
   • A person who collects discarded items: A scavenger is someone who searches for and collects useful items from waste or discarded materials.
   • A chemical agent that removes impurities: In chemistry, a scavenger is a substance added to a mixture to remove or deactivate impurities.

Examples

• Noun (Animal):
  • Vultures are well-known scavengers that help clean the environment.
  • Hyenas often act as scavengers, feeding on the remains of kills made by other predators.
• Noun (Person):
  • After the market closed, the scavenger looked for discarded but still edible food.
  • He worked as a scavenger, collecting recyclable materials from the landfill.
• Noun (Chemical Agent):
  • Oxygen scavengers are added to boiler water to prevent corrosion.
  • The chemical process uses a scavenger to neutralize free radicals.

Advanced Usage

• "Scavenger hunt": A game where participants are given a list of items to find or tasks to complete.
  • The children had a blast during the birthday party's scavenger hunt.

Variants and Related Words

• Scavenge (verb): To search for and collect usable items from waste; (for animals) to feed on carrion or refuse.
  • Raccoons often scavenge through garbage cans at night.
  • The artist scavenges old metal to create sculptures.
• Scavenging (noun/gerund): The act of searching for and collecting discarded items or feeding on dead matter.
  • The scavenging of materials is an important part of the recycling process.

Synonyms

• Forager: An animal or person who searches widely for food or provisions.
• Carrion eater: An animal that feeds on dead and decaying flesh.
• Collector: A person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby.
• Purifier (chemical context): An agent that removes contaminants.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Compounds

• Scavenge for: To search for something, typically usable items among discarded things.
  • The poor had to scavenge for food in the city dump.

Noun

1. any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying organic matter
2. someone who collects things that have been discarded by others
3. a chemical agent that is added to a chemical mixture to counteract the effects of impurities