Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To obtain (something) by begging or borrowing with no intention of reparation: synonym: cadge.
  • intransitive verb To obtain by salvaging or foraging; round up.
  • intransitive verb To seek to obtain something by begging or borrowing with no intention of reparation.
  • intransitive verb To forage about in an effort to acquire something at no cost.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To hunt about, especially for something of nominal value; to scavenge or glean.
  • verb To obtain something of moderate or inconsequential value from another.
  • noun Someone who scrounges; a scrounger.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb collect or look around for (food)
  • verb obtain or seek to obtain by cadging or wheedling

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Alteration of dialectal scrunge, to steal.]

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Examples

  • He says the children selling all manner of trinkets are his friends and uses some kind of innate child-communication to invite them to play with the few toys he has, as well as whatever else they can scrounge from the grounds.

    Chet of Arabia 2010

  • He says the children selling all manner of trinkets are his friends and uses some kind of innate child-communication to invite them to play with the few toys he has, as well as whatever else they can scrounge from the grounds.

    Chet of Arabia 2010

  • After breakfast, she sat in the front room where equatorial sun slanted in brightest through lacquered lattices to read every last thing she could scrounge from the one biblioteca that sold English print.

    BRASIL AS A GIRL Maggie Jochild 2007

  • One neighbor commented that she felt like a "scrounge", I told her that she wasn't scrounging but "re-purposing" my old hangers and the look of relief that came across her face was amazing.

    Kim Callahan: From Helping Vietnam Veterans to Helping My Neighbors 2009

  • Every man in the team was strictly enjoined to "scrounge" any scrap of wood he could find en route, and it was a common sight to see a driver suddenly hop off his horse, dart across the road triumphantly to seize a stick he had spotted, after which he rushed after his team and scrambled into the saddle again, the horses meanwhile plodding patiently along.

    With Our Army in Palestine Antony Bluett

  • It happened to someone else when it was revealed that he hadn't been taking showers, and the Commander had pronounced him a "scrounge".

    Autism Hub Clay 2010

  • "They do tend to kind of scrounge to where they want; they go to the low seats," Finke said.

    Iowa City Press-Citizen - Hawkeye Sports 2008

  • As things then also turned out, last night's meal flopped (don't get me started -- I think the cut of lamb the butcher gave me was 3/4 fat) and my moms 'night out is tonight, meaning that not only will I be gone but they will have to scrounge for dinner (probably a frozen Indian meal for John and mac-n-cheese for the girls).

    Archive 2009-02-01 Laura 2009

  • As things then also turned out, last night's meal flopped (don't get me started -- I think the cut of lamb the butcher gave me was 3/4 fat) and my moms 'night out is tonight, meaning that not only will I be gone but they will have to scrounge for dinner (probably a frozen Indian meal for John and mac-n-cheese for the girls).

    Mint Chocolate Cupcakes For John Laura 2009

  • Chapters had to scrounge to find any of my books, but scared up a few that also sold out.

    Montreal WorldCon Day…um, what day is it again? ewillett 2009

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