scavenge: Meaning and Definition of

scav•enge

1. to take or gather (something usable) from discarded material.
2. to cleanse of filth, as a street.
3. to expel burnt gases from (the cylinder of an internal-combustion engine).
4. to purify (molten metal) by introducing a substance that will combine chemically with impurities.

1. to act as a scavenger.
2. (of an engine or cylinder) to become scavenged of burnt gases.
3. to search, esp. for food.