scavenge

/ˈskæv.ɪndʒ/

//ˈskæv.ɪndʒ// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"scavenge" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scavenge” is uncommon English (frequency #52,615 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,615
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To collect and remove refuse, or to search through refuse, carrion, or abandoned items for useful material.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scavenge · scavenge · English

scavenge · rank #52,615 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,615
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Sano

Nearest frequency peer: Sano (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “scavenge”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “scavenge” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for scavenge
PropertyValue
Headwordscavenge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈskæv.ɪndʒ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#52,615
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “scavenge” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).scavengefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Sano” (#52,614), “sangria” (#52,613), “Sambo” (#52,612). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scavenge” is #52,615. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

scavenge is uncommon English at frequency #52,615 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈskæv.ɪndʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

scavenge has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from scavenger. The correct English form is scavenge, spelled S-C-A-V-E-N-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To collect and remove refuse, or to search through refuse, carrion, or abandoned items for useful material.
  2. 2
    To remove unwanted material from something, especially to purify molten metal by removing impurities.
  3. 3
    To expel the exhaust gases from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, and draw in air for the next cycle.
  4. 4
    To feed on carrion or refuse.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how scavenge appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. We scavenged a couple of old beer cans for our art project.
  2. They had to scavenge the forest for firewood.

Etymology

Back-formation from scavenger.

This word in other languages

nettoyer(Français)durchstöbern(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "scavenge"?
"scavenge" is spelled S-C-A-V-E-N-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskæv.ɪndʒ/.
What does "scavenge" mean?
As a verb, "scavenge" means: To collect and remove refuse, or to search through refuse, carrion, or abandoned items for useful material.
How do you pronounce "scavenge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scavenge" is /ˈskæv.ɪndʒ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "scavenge"?
Back-formation from scavenger. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "scavenge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

righting#52,600softener#52,635reassert#52,586stephane#52,648

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list