scavenge

Everyday

1. To scavenge is to search through rubbish or leftovers for something useful, such as food or materials. tree →
2. In nature, animals scavenge when they eat dead animals or scraps they did not kill themselves. tree →

In the lessons

In science food chain lessons, scavengers like vultures, hyenas, crows and foxes clean up dead animals. In everyday life, a «scavenger hunt» is a game of finding a list of things. In stories, characters scavenge for food when they are lost or poor. Phrases: «scavenge for food», «scavenger hunt», «scavenging birds».

Examples

• Seagulls scavenge for chips on the beach. tree →
• Vultures scavenge on dead animals. tree →
• Foxes scavenge through bins at night. tree →
• The castaways scavenged the wreck for tools. tree →
• We did a scavenger hunt in the park. tree →
• Raccoons scavenge in city rubbish in North America. tree →
• Scavenging animals help recycle nutrients in nature. tree →

Note

Regular verb: scavenged. Noun: scavenger. A scavenger is different from a predator, which hunts and kills its food; some animals do both.