scavenger
English
Alternative forms
- skavenger (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English scavager, from Anglo-Norman scawageour (“one who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax collector”), from Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307: Parameter 2 should be a valid language, etymology language or family code; the value "ONF." is not valid. See WT:LOL, WT:LOL/E and WT:LOF., escauwage (“scavage”), Old French *scavage, escavage, alteration of escauvinghe (compare Medieval Latin scewinga, sceawinga), from Old Dutch scauwōn (“to inspect, to examinate, to look at”). Compare Dutch schouwing (“inspection”). More at show.
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈskæv.ən.dʒə(ɹ)/
Noun
scavenger (plural scavengers)
- Someone who scavenges, especially one who searches through rubbish for food or useful things.
- An animal that feeds on decaying matter such as carrion.
- (UK, obsolete) A street sweeper.
- (UK, historical) A child employed to pick up loose cotton from the floor in a cotton mill.
- (chemistry) A substance used to remove impurities from the air or from a solution.
Derived terms
Translations
Someone who scavenges, especially one who searches through rubbish for food or useful things
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animal feeding on decaying matter
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street sweeper
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substance to remove impurities
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Verb
scavenger (third-person singular simple present scavengers, present participle scavengering, simple past and past participle scavengered)
Further reading
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Old Dutch
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- British English
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with historical senses
- en:Chemistry
- English verbs
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- English agent nouns
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