scavenge

 
Pronunciation: /ˈskavɪn(d)ʒ/

verb

[with object]
  • 1search for and collect (anything usable) from discarded waste: people sell junk scavenged from the garbage the city dump where the squatters scavenge to survive
  • (of an animal) search for (carrion) as food: the feral cat preferred to scavenge carrion from the forest floor [no object]: bears and wolves scavenged for carcasses
  • search for discarded items or food in (a place): the mink is still commonly seen scavenging the beaches of California
  • 2remove (combustion products) from an internal-combustion engine cylinder on the return stroke of the piston: solid lead deposits of combustion would be scavenged from the engine
  • 3 Chemistry combine with and remove (molecules, radicals, etc.) from a particular medium: chlorine molecules can scavenge ozone at a very fast rate

Origin:

mid 17th century (in the sense 'clean out (dirt)'): back-formation from scavenger