A person whose employment is to clean the streets of a city, by scraping or sweeping, and carrying off the filth. The name is also applied to any animal which devours refuse, carrion, or anything injurious to health. [1913 Webster]

Scavenger beetle (Zoöl.), any beetle which feeds on decaying substances, as the carrion beetle. -- Scavenger crab (Zoöl.), any crab which feeds on dead animals, as the spider crab. -- Scavenger's daughter [corrupt. of Skevington's daughter], an instrument of torture invented by Sir W. Skevington, which so compressed the body as to force the blood to flow from the nostrils, and sometimes from the hands and feet. Am. Cyc.

top

OXFORD DICTIONARY

scavenger, n.
1 a person who seeks and collects discarded items.
2 an animal, esp. a beetle, feeding on carrion, refuse, etc.
3 Brit. archaic a person employed to clean the streets etc.

Derivative

scavengery n.

Etymology

ME scavager f. AF scawager f. scawage f. ONF escauwer inspect f. Flem. scauwen, rel. to SHOW: for -n- cf. MESSENGER

top

THESAURUS

scavenger

amphibian, aquatic, biped, canine, cannibal, carnivore, chimney sweep, cleanser, cosmopolite, crossing sweeper, feline, flue cleaner, gnawer, herbivore, insectivore, invertebrate, mammal, mammalian, marsupial, marsupialian, omnivore, primate, quadruped, reptile, rodent, ruminant, street sweeper, sweep, sweeper, ungulate, varmint, vermin, vertebrate, whitewing

top

ROGET THESAURUS

scavenger

Cleanness

N cleanness, cleanliness, purity, cleaning, purification, defecation, purgation, lustration, detersion, abstersion, epuration, mundation, ablution, lavation, colature, disinfection, drainage, sewerage, lavatory, laundry, washhouse, washerwoman, laundress, dhobi, laundryman, washerman, scavenger, dustman, sweep, white wings brush, broom, besom, mop, rake, shovel, sieve, riddle, screen, filter, blotter, napkin, cloth, maukin, malkin, handkerchief, towel, sudary, doyley, doily, duster, sponge, mop, swab, cover, drugget, wash, lotion, detergent, cathartic, purgative, purifier, disinfectant, aperient, benzene, benzine benzol, benolin, bleaching powder, chloride of lime, dentifrice, deobstruent, laxative, clean, cleanly, pure, immaculate, spotless, stainless, taintless, trig, without a stain, unstained, unspotted, unsoiled, unsullied, untainted, uninfected, sweet, sweet as a nut, neat, spruce, tidy, trim, gimp, clean as a new penny, like a cat in pattens, cleaned, kempt, abstergent, cathartic, cleansing, purifying, neatly, clean as a whistle.

For further exploring for "scavenger" in Webster Dictionary Online