Salvage
To rescue or recover something from loss, damage, or ruin, or to reclaim usable material from discarded or damaged items.
verbSalvage
To rescue or recover something from loss, damage, or ruin, or to reclaim usable material from discarded or damaged items.
verbImagine This
Picture divers underwater, pulling crates of copper and dishes from a sunken merchant ship and loading them onto a recovery boat to save valuables from the wreck.
Sounds Like
Pronounced SAL-vij (the 'g' sounds like a soft 'j')
Looks Like
Looks like 'savage' with an extra 'l'
Remember This
Salvage comes from the Latin salvare, meaning 'to save.' In maritime law, salvage rights determine ownership of recovered property.
Other Forms
Connect With
rescue, recover, retrieve, reclaim, salvage operation
Note
Use salvage as a verb (to save/recover) or a noun (the saved items or act of salvaging). Distinguish from 'save' in everyday use and from 'salve' (a cream) which is unrelated. In legal contexts, 'salvage rights' can have specific meanings regarding compensation for recovering property.