scavenged
Picked through remains
Scavenged is the past tense of scavenge, meaning to search through discarded material for useful items or to collect food from whatever sources are available.
Animals scavenge carrion; people scavenge abandoned buildings or junkyards: We scavenged parts from old computers to build a new one.
The word suggests resourcefulness amid scarcity.
Recovering damaged goods
- wreckageDestroyed remains of something
- debrisScattered broken fragments
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
- remnantsWhat stays after most goes
scraps · leftovers · retrieved · reclaimed · rummaged · sifted · searched · excavated
Small fleshy fruits
- mushroomsSpore-bearing fruiting bodies
- edibleSafe to consume
- plantsPhotosynthesizing rooted organisms
- nutsSeeds in shells
herbs · roots · wilderness · gathering · subsistence · hunter-gatherer · botanical · flora
Took in small amounts
- plunderedForcibly took valuables
- raidedAttacked by surprise
- pillagedRobbed through violence
- ransackedSearched destructively for valuables
stripped · stolen · taken · seized · emptied · despoiled · grabbed · snatched
Creatively remade from waste
- recycledConverted waste into material
- reclaimedTaken back; salvaged
- reusedEmployed a second time
- salvagedRescued from destruction
secondhand · sustainable · eco-friendly · circular · reconditioned · refurbished · restored · thrifted
salvage
Recovering damaged goods
- wreckageDestroyed remains of something
- debrisScattered broken fragments
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
remnants · scraps · leftovers · retrieved · reclaimed · rummaged · sifted · searched · excavated · unearthed
berries
Small fleshy fruits
nuts · herbs · roots · wilderness · gathering · subsistence · hunter-gatherer · botanical · flora · fauna
pilfered
Took in small amounts
ransacked · stripped · stolen · taken · seized · emptied · despoiled · grabbed · snatched · carrion
upcycled
Creatively remade from waste
salvaged · secondhand · sustainable · eco-friendly · circular · reconditioned · refurbished · restored · thrifted · preloved
improvised
Created without prior planning
creative · thrifty · frugal · makeshift · adaptive · inventive · scrappy · industrious · enterprising · opportunistic
scavengedpurchased
Acquired through payment
bought · procured · ordered · commissioned · custom-made
- scavenger huntGame of locating items
- scavenger bird
- oxygen scavengerSubstance removing reactive gas