SCAVENGER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does scavenger mean? 

• SCAVENGER (noun)
  The noun SCAVENGER has 3 senses:

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

2. someone who collects things that have been discarded by others

3. any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying organic matter

  Familiarity information: SCAVENGER used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SCAVENGER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("scavenger" is a kind of...):

chemical agent (an agent that produces chemical reactions)

Derivation:

scavenge (remove unwanted substances from)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone who collects things that have been discarded by others

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

magpie; pack rat; scavenger

Hypernyms ("scavenger" is a kind of...):

hoarder (a person who accumulates things and hides them away for future use)

Derivation:

scavenge (collect discarded material)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying organic matter

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("scavenger" is a kind of...):

animal; animate being; beast; brute; creature; fauna (a living organism characterized by voluntary movement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "scavenger"):

bottom-feeder (a scavenger that feeds low on the food chain)

Derivation:

scavenge (feed on carrion or refuse)

 Context examples 

Anti-LOXL2 monoclonal antibody GS 6624 targets and specifically binds to the scavenger receptor cysteine rich domain 4 (SRCR-4) on LOXL2, thereby preventing the crosslinking of collagen and inhibiting the recruitment and activation of fibroblasts.

(Anti-LOXL2 Monoclonal Antibody GS 6624, NCI Thesaurus)

Glutathione acts as an antioxidant, a free radical scavenger and a detoxifying agent.

(Glutathione, NCI Thesaurus)

A highly polar organic liquid that is used widely as a chemical solvent and a free radical scavenger.

(Dimethyl sulfoxide, NCI Thesaurus)

Green tea polyphenols act as antioxidants and free radical scavengers and may affect enzymes involved in cellular replication and tumor angiogenesis by modulating angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

(Green Tea, NCI Thesaurus)

Green tea polyphenols act as antioxidants and free radical scavengers, thereby protecting cells from reactive oxygen species and further damage.

(Green Tea Lozenge, NCI Thesaurus)

In addition, mesalamine may act as a scavenger of reactive oxygen free radicals.

(Olsalazine, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes macrophage scavenger receptor types I and II protein, is involved in the modulation of cholesterol and lipoprotein transport.

(MSR1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

While insects are often commercially valuable and useful as scavengers, many species are harmful, causing enormous losses in agriculture and storage.

(Insect, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

This 340 kD protein is a glycoprotein containing multiple scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domains separated by SRCR-interspersed domains (SID).

(Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumors 1, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes scavenger receptor cysteine-rich type 1 protein M130, is involved in the clearance and endocytosis of hemoglobin/haptoglobin complexes by macrophages.

(CD163 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)