scavenger

• skavenger (obsolete)

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 (“inspection”). More at show.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈskæv.ən.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/

• Audio (UK):

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scavenger (plural scavengers)

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

   garbage scavenger

   A scavenger picked through the rubbish heap.

3. An animal that feeds on decaying matter such as carrion.

   Vultures are natural scavengers.

4. (UK, Ireland, obsolete) A street sweeper.
5. (UK, Ireland, historical) A child employed to pick up loose cotton from the floor in a cotton mill.
6. (chemistry) A substance used to remove impurities from the air or from a solution.

scavenger (third-person singular simple present scavengers, present participle scavengering, simple past and past participle scavengered)

1. (archaic) To scavenge.
2. (archaic) To clean the rubbish from a street, etc.

• scavenger on Wikipedia.Wikipedia