scrounge

English

Etymology

1915, alteration of dialectal scrunge ("to search stealthily, rummage, pilfer") (1909), of uncertain origin, perhaps from dialectal scringe ("to pry about"); or perhaps related to scrouge, scrooge ("push, jostle") (1755, also Cockney slang for "a crowd"), probably suggestive of screw, squeeze. Popularized by the military in World War I.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skɹaʊndʒ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊndʒ

Verb

scrounge (third-person singular simple present scrounges, present participle scrounging, simple past and past participle scrounged)

1. (intransitive, transitive) To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean.

   scrounge for food

2. (intransitive) To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another.

   As long as he's got someone who'll let him scrounge off them, he'll never settle down and get a full-time job.

Synonyms

• (obtain from another): blag, cadge (UK), leech, sponge, wheedle

Derived terms

• scrounge up
• scrounger

Translations

To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean

• French: glaner (fr)
• German: abstauben (de), klauben (de), stibitzen (de)
• Italian: battere cassa
• Maori: pītoto
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: выпра́шивать (ru) impf (vyprášivatʹ), выцыга́нивать (ru) impf (vycygánivatʹ)
• Spanish: gorronear (es), bolsear (es), sablear (es), garronear (es)
• Turkish: aşırmak (tr), otlakçılık etmek, yürütmek (tr)

To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another

• Bulgarian: отмъквам (bg) (otmǎkvam), задигам (bg) (zadigam)
• Dutch: bietsen (nl)
• Finnish: pummata (fi)
• French: quémander (fr), profiter (fr)
• German: schnorren (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: scroccare (it)
• Maori: pati, whakapati, pīnono, kaimātai, pītoto
• Russian: выпра́шивать (ru) impf (vyprášivatʹ), выцыга́нивать (ru) impf (vycygánivatʹ)
• Spanish: gorronear (es), cafichear (es), bolsear (es), comer la sopa boba

Noun

scrounge (plural scrounges)

1. Someone who scrounges; a scrounger.

Translations

scrounger — see scrounger

See also

• scringe
• scrooge
• scrouge
• scrunge

Anagrams

• congrues