Meaning

noun a chemical agent that is added to a chemical mixture to counteract the effects of impurities

noun someone who collects things that have been discarded by others

noun any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying organic matter

originOriginally from Middle English scavager, from Anglo-Norman scawageour (“one who had to do with scavage, inspector, tax collector”), from Old Northern French *scawage, escauwage (“scavage”), Old French *scavage, escavage, alteration of escauvinghe (compare Medieval Latin scewinga, sceawinga), from Old Dutch scauwōn (“to inspect, to examinate, to look at”). Usually reinterpreted/re-analysed today…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0