Scavange

Scavange is not a standard English word. It is most commonly encountered as a misspelling of the verb scavengen? No, scavengan? In practice, it is typically treated as a nonstandard variant of the word scavenging or as a mistaken form of scavenger. When encountered as a misspelling, it carries the same intended meaning as scavenging.

As a verb, the recognized form is scavenging, meaning to search for and collect usable items that are discarded or abandoned, often for reuse or salvage. The related noun scavenger denotes a person, animal, or mechanism that scavenges. The spelling scavange, when used, is not accepted by major dictionaries and is usually corrected in formal writing.

Usage and context vary. In everyday language, people may say they scavenged for materials, food, or supplies in places like thrift stores, junkyards, or after disasters. In biology and ecology, scavenging describes the feeding behavior of animals that consume dead organisms. The term scavange, if seen in technical or literary contexts, should be treated as a misspelling or a deliberate stylistic choice rather than a distinct technical term.

Orthography and prevalence. The preferred spellings are scavenging (verb) and scavenger (noun). Scavange appears only as an uncommon mistake or in historical texts where orthography differed from contemporary usage. For clarity, writers generally use scavenging and related forms.

See also: scavenging, scavenger, foraging, salvage.