scrounge

 
Pronunciation: /skraʊn(d)ʒ/
informal

verb

[with object]
  • seek to obtain (something, typically food or money) at the expense or through the generosity of others or by stealth: he had managed to scrounge a free meal [no object]: we didn’t scrounge off the social security
  • (often scrounge something up) North American search for or obtain by searching.

noun

[in singular]
  • an act of scrounging: we went for a scrounge

Phrases

on the scrounge

British engaged in scrounging: she’s always on the scrounge

Origin:

early 20th century: variant of dialect scrunge 'steal'