scavenging
Picking through remains
Scavenging is searching through discarded material for something useful or edible.
Animals scavenge carrion; people scavenge dumpsters, junkyards, or abandoned buildings.
The word implies picking through what others have left behind: She spent the afternoon scavenging for spare parts.
In biology, scavengers are organisms that feed on dead matter rather than hunting live prey.
Carrion-eating raptor
- hyenaCackling African carnivore
- jackalWild African dog
- condorGiant New World vulture
- carcassSlaughtered animal's body
roadkill · decomposition · detritivore · marabou · remains · decay · ecosystem · cleanup
Pursuing wild game
- gatheringCollection of people meeting
- wildcraftingGathering uncultivated natural materials
- berriesSmall fleshy fruits
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
nuts · fungi · mushrooms · truffles · herbs · seeds · edibles · plants
Improving discarded materials' value
- repurposingAdapting for different use
- salvagingRecovering discarded or damaged goods
- wasteUnwanted discarded material
- landfillWaste burial ground
composting · sustainability · eco-friendly · materials · plastics · metals · glass · paper
Forcible theft during conflict
- plunderingForcible taking of goods
- ransackingSearching while wrecking
- raidingSudden attack for plunder
- sackingDismissal from employment
marauding · despoiling · theft · stealing · robbing · booty · war · spoils
Total civilizational collapse
- prepperOne who stockpiles for catastrophe
- bushcraftWilderness survival skill set
- rationingLimiting distribution during scarcity
- survivalistSelf-reliance extremist
wilderness · self-sufficiency · endurance · resourcefulness · shelter · emergency · subsistence · preparedness
Purchasing secondhand merchandise
- secondhandHaving had prior ownership
- flea marketOutdoor secondhand goods venue
- garage saleResidential secondhand merchandise event
- junkyardSalvage storage site
pawnshop · antiques · collectibles · treasure · picker · bargain · attic · basement
vulture
Carrion-eating raptor
carcass · roadkill · decomposition · detritivore · marabou · remains · decay · ecosystem · cleanup · dead
hunting
Pursuing wild game
- gatheringCollection of people meeting
- wildcraftingGathering uncultivated natural materials
- berriesSmall fleshy fruits
roots · nuts · fungi · mushrooms · truffles · herbs · seeds · edibles · plants · harvesting
upcycling
Improving discarded materials' value
- repurposingAdapting for different use
- salvagingRecovering discarded or damaged goods
- wasteUnwanted discarded material
landfill · composting · sustainability · eco-friendly · materials · plastics · metals · glass · paper · sorting
pillaging
Forcible theft during conflict
- plunderingForcible taking of goods
- ransackingSearching while wrecking
- raidingSudden attack for plunder
sacking · marauding · despoiling · theft · stealing · robbing · booty · war · spoils · conquest
apocalypse
Total civilizational collapse
- prepperOne who stockpiles for catastrophe
- bushcraftWilderness survival skill set
- rationingLimiting distribution during scarcity
survivalist · wilderness · self-sufficiency · endurance · resourcefulness · shelter · emergency · subsistence · preparedness · desperation
thrifting
Purchasing secondhand merchandise
- secondhandHaving had prior ownership
- flea marketOutdoor secondhand goods venue
- garage saleResidential secondhand merchandise event
junkyard · pawnshop · antiques · collectibles · treasure · picker · bargain · attic · basement · sifting
- survival strategieshibernation, mimicry, dormancy, predation, territoriality
- Dystopia1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, dystopian fiction, totalitarianism, Brave New World
- ecologyhabitat, ecosystem, balance, niche, food webs
- animal behaviorsswimming, running, walking, jumping, flying
- gatheringgathering, collecting, accumulating, amassing, compiling
- Hunger-Relatedeating, appetite, food craving, stomach growling, hunger pains
scavenginghunting
Pursuing wild game
predation · predatory behavior · stalking · pursuing · capturing
scavengingproducing
Making or generating
cultivating · farming · purchasing · manufacturing · creating
scavengingwasting
Using poorly, inefficiently
discarding · disposing · throwing away · dumping · purchasing