Scavenging

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Scavenging \Scav"eng*ing\, p. pr. & vb. n. of {Scavenge}. Hence,
     n. (Internal-combustion Engines)
     Act or process of expelling the exhaust gases from the
     cylinder by some special means, as, in many four-cycle
     engines, by utilizing the momentum of the exhaust gases in a
     long exhaust pipe.


     [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  scavenging
       adj 1: searching for and salvaging anything useful from discarded
              material; "scavenging larvae"
       2: searching for and feeding on decaying matter; "scavenging
          hyenas and vultures"