scavengers
scavengers — noun
- scavengerssingular
- scavengersesplural
1. a wild creature, such as a vulture, hyena, or crab, that stays alive by eating d
a wild creature, such as a vulture, hyena, or crab, that stays alive by eating dead animals or waste food left behind by other creatures.
After the lion left its kill, scavengers like vultures gathered in minutes.
after + kill — typical feeding context for scavengers
Dead fish washed up on the riverbank and attracted crabs and other scavengers.
In the desert, beetles act as efficient scavengers that clear away dead insects.
National park rangers explained that hyenas are vital scavengers in the savanna.
Scavengers play an essential role in the ecosystem by consuming dead organic matter.
- carrion eater
more specific — only describes animals that feed on rotting meat, not on waste
- decomposer
broader term in ecology that includes bacteria and fungi that break down dead matter
- forager
wider meaning — also describes animals that search for live food such as seeds or berries
- predator
kills its own prey rather than eating already dead animals
文法句型
scavenger + verb (feed on / eat / gather) + [food source]
用法筆記
Common in biology and ecology writing. The activity of scavengers helps recycle nutrients — without them, dead matter would pile up.
常見錯誤
2. a person who looks through rubbish or discarded items to find things that can be
a person who looks through rubbish or discarded items to find things that can be reused, sold for money, or recycled.
Benjamin earned a small income as a scavenger collecting scrap metal from the railway yard.
earned a small income as a scavenger — occupation framing
Beatriz and her brother sifted through the dump looking for glass bottles and copper wire.
Local recycling programs now offer better prices for the materials that scavengers collect.
Nora pulled a broken chair from the trash, fixed its leg, and sold it the following day.
The city council provided gloves and safety vests to help scavengers work more safely.
- waste picker
more neutral and common in development and recycling contexts
- ragpicker
dated term referring specifically to someone who collects old cloth and rags
- junk collector
more general — can also describe someone who buys unwanted household items
文法句型
scavenger + verb (collect / sort / sell) + [discarded items]
用法筆記
Can sometimes carry a negative connotation suggesting poverty, but is used neutrally in discussions of waste management and recycling industries.
常見錯誤
3. a substance added to a mixture to capture, react with, or remove unwanted chemic
a substance added to a mixture to capture, react with, or remove unwanted chemicals, such as toxins, oxygen, or pollutants.
The lab technician added a chemical scavenger to remove oxygen from the sealed solution.
Free radical scavengers found in green vegetables help protect the body from cell damage.
free radical scavengers found in green vegetables — common in health contexts
Engineers use chlorine scavengers to stop corrosion inside the water supply pipes.
This air filter contains a chemical scavenger that traps sulfur compounds before they escape.
A specially designed scavenger binds to heavy metals in wastewater and makes them harmless.
- neutralizing agent
broader term for any substance that counteracts unwanted chemicals
- purifier
more general — describes anything that removes impurities from a substance
- radical scavenger
specific to antioxidants that neutralise free radicals in biological systems
- pollutant
a substance that contaminates rather than removes contaminants
- contaminant
the unwanted substance that a scavenger is added to remove
文法句型
scavenger + verb (remove / trap / bind to) + [target substance]
[type] scavenger (oxygen / free radical / chlorine)
用法筆記
Technical term found mainly in chemistry, biology, and environmental engineering. The type of scavenger is often specified by a prefix: oxygen scavenger, free radical scavenger, chlorine scavenger.