salvage
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salvage¹
- /ˈsælvɪd͡ʒ/
Where it comes from
From Old French salver (see also save, from a variant form), from Late Latin salvare (“to make safe, secure, save”), from Latin salvus (“safe”) with the English suffix -age.
noun salvages
- The rescue of a ship, its crew and passengers or its cargo from a hazardous situation.
- The ship, crew or cargo so rescued.
- The compensation paid to the rescuers.
- The money from the sale of rescued goods.
- The similar rescue of property liable to loss; the property so rescued. [...] the debris was hurled down the hillside on to the line and swept the engine off the track and into the sea; the engine in question, ex-Cambrian 0-6-0 No. 874, was not considered to be worth salvage, and was abandoned.
- The process of acquiring, dismantling, and stocking the pieces of old property such as ships, houses, and vehicles, so that they can be sold on to be reused or recycled.
- Anything put to good use that would otherwise have been wasted, such as damaged goods. salvage cars auction
verb salvages · salvaging · salvaged
- To rescue. Robin van Persie looked to have secured the points for the Gunners with a fine goal from Theo Walcott's through ball. But Perisic dipped a sublime 20-yard shot home to salvage a draw.
- To modify (a false proposition) to create a true proposition. Prove or disprove, and salvage if possible.
- To put to use. During the war, but unrecorded because of the requirements of censorship, a link with the now partly-abandoned Cardiff Railway disappeared with the demolition of Rhydyfelin Viaduct, near Treforest, South Wales, in the latter part of 1942. The steelwork in this structure, amounting to nearly 1,150 to
- To make new or restore for the use of being saved.
salvage²
- /ˈsælvɪd͡ʒ/
Where it comes from
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
noun salvages
- Obsolete spelling of savage Cornels, and ſalvage Berries of the Wood, / And Roots and Herbs have been my meagre Food.
salvage³
- /ˈsælvɪd͡ʒ/
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Spanish salvaje, from Catalan salvatge, from Late Latin *salvāticus, alteration of Latin silvāticus (“wild”, literally “of the woods”). Confused false friends; English salvage and Tagalog salbahe (“mischievous, naughty”).
noun salvages
- Summary execution, extrajudicial killing.
verb salvages · salvaging · salvaged
- To perform summary execution.
- To apprehend and execute (a suspected criminal) without trial.
Salvage⁴
- /ˈsæl.vɪdʒ/
Sounds like salvage · Rhymes with -ælvɪdʒ
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Spanish salvaje (“savage, uncivilised”). The name likely derives from an encounter between the Spanish and the local indigenous population.
proper noun
- A town in Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. A man in Salvage, N.L., is being called a 'miracle man' by some residents in the community for lifting a vehicle off his son-in-law, but he says he's no hero.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: scavenge, salve, save, relieve, lifeboat, bridge, repairman, back-up, backup, debris, safeguard, scavenging, scrap, recycling, harvesting, lifesaving
Translations
Every language
noun the rescue of a ship or its cargo from a hazardous situation
| Español | salvamento, rescate, salvataje |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 打撈 /打捞 dǎlāo |
| Français | sauvetage |
| Deutsch | Bergung |
| Русский | спасе́ние spasénije, спаса́ние spasánije |
| עברית | חִלּוּץ khilúts, הַצָּלָה hatsalá |
noun the ship, crew or cargo so rescued
| Español | objeto salvado, objeto rescatado |
|---|---|
| Français | rescapé |
| Deutsch | Geborgene, Bergegut |
noun the compensation paid to the rescuers
| Français | récompense |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Bergelohn |
| עברית | דְּמֵי הַצָּלָה dmēy hatsalā |
noun anything that has been put to good use that would otherwise have been wasted
| Español | material recuperado |
|---|---|
| Português | reaproveitamento |
| Français | récupération |
| Deutsch | B-Ware, C-Ware |
verb to rescue
| Español | rescatar, salvar, recuperar, hacer un salvamento, lograr un salvataje |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 搶救 /抢救 qiǎngjiù, 拯救 zhěngjiù |
| Français | sauver, secourir |
| Deutsch | bergen, retten |
| Русский | спаса́ть spasátʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | cứu hộ |
verb to put to use
| Español | reutilizar |
|---|---|
| Português | reaproveitar, reutilizar |
| Français | recycler, récupérer |
| Deutsch | nutzen, ausschlachten |
verb to make new or restore for the use of being saved
| Español | restaurar |
|---|---|
| Português | reaproveitar, reutilizar |
| Français | réutiliser |
| Deutsch | restaurieren, herrichten |
Talk about this word "salvage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/salvage. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. salvage. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/salvage "salvage." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/salvage.Cite this
@misc{salvage_2026,
title = {salvage},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/salvage},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
