scavenger

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Someone who scavenges, especially one who searches through rubbish for food or useful things.

   garbage scavenger

2. 2
   noun

   An animal that feeds on decaying matter such as carrion.

   Vultures are natural scavengers.

3. 3
   noun

   any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying organic matter

4. 4
   noun

   someone who collects things that have been discarded by others

5. 5
   noun

   a chemical agent that is added to a chemical mixture to counteract the effects of impurities

6. 6
   noun

   A street sweeper.

7. 7
   noun

   A child employed to pick up loose cotton from the floor in a cotton mill.

8. 8
   noun

   A substance used to remove impurities from the air or from a solution.

Etymology

Originally from Middle English scavager, from Anglo-Norman scawageour (“one who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax collector”), from Old Northern French *scawage, 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”). Usually reinterpreted/re-analysed today as scavenge (which was originally a backformation from this word) + -er. Compare Old English sċēawung (“a showing, spectacle, examination, inspection, toll on exposure of goods”) and Dutch schouwing (“i…