Meaning & use
scavenger
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablebiology
An animal that feeds on dead or decaying matter.
Grammar: Countable: one scavenger, many scavengers. Often used in biology contexts.
Patterns
- a scavenger feeds on something
- scavenger species
Vultures are scavengers that feed on dead animals.
The hyena is both a hunter and a scavenger.
Scavengers play an important role in cleaning up ecosystems.
nouncountabledisapproving
A person who searches through discarded items for useful things.
Grammar: Countable: one scavenger, many scavengers. Often used disapprovingly.
Patterns
- a scavenger searches through something
- scavenger in the trash
Scavengers searched the dump for anything valuable.
He was a scavenger, always looking for discarded furniture on the street.
The scavengers collected bottles and cans to recycle.
Word forms
| plural | scavengers |
|---|
Common combinations
- scavenger hunt
- The children played a scavenger hunt in the park.
- scavenger species
- Scavenger species help break down dead matter.
- act as a scavenger
- Some birds act as scavengers in the city.
Synonyms and how they differ
- forager
- Forager searches for food or supplies; scavenger specifically searches through discarded items or feeds on dead matter.
- dumpster diver
- Dumpster diver is informal and specifically refers to searching in trash containers; scavenger is broader.
Word family
- scavenge verb
- To search for and collect discarded items or dead matter.
Commonly confused: scavenger or scavenger hunt?
scavenger vs scavenger hunt
This is a game where players search for a list of items. It is not about animals or discarded items.
Practice
A vulture is an example of a ______ because it eats dead animals.
Choose one answer.
Scavenger fits because vultures feed on dead animals. A predator hunts live prey, a herbivore eats plants, and a parasite lives on a host.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scavenger”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.