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scavenger

scav·en·ger

scavenger

 
 
pronunciation:
skae vihn jr
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word History
part of speech: noun
definition: an animal that finds and eats dead animals or rotting plants; a person who finds things that others no longer want.
Hyenas are scavengers.My grandfather is a real scavenger at yard sales.
 
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
Word History
In the 1300s, English towns began collecting a tax called "scavage" on goods sold by people who did not live in the town. The scavenger was the person who collected the tax. After this practice ended, the word was used for a person hired to remove trash from the streets.