oxygen-scavenging
|ox-y-gen-scav-eng-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑksɪdʒən ˈskævɪndʒɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈɒksɪdʒən ˈskævɪndʒɪŋ/
removes oxygen
Etymology
'oxygen-scavenging' is a modern English compound of 'oxygen' and 'scavenging'. 'oxygen' originates from French 'oxygène' (coined in the late 18th century from Greek elements 'oxys' meaning 'sharp'/'acid' and '-genēs' meaning 'born of' or 'producer'), and 'scavenge' comes from the verb 'scavenge' (from older 'scavenger' in Middle English), where 'scavenger' originally meant 'one who removes refuse or unwanted material'.
'oxygen-scavenging' developed in technical and industrial English by compounding the scientific term 'oxygen' with the present participle 'scavenging'; it appears first in contexts like food packaging and corrosion control as 'oxygen scavenging' and later often appears hyphenated as 'oxygen-scavenging' to function adjectivally.
Initially it described the action of 'scavenging oxygen' (the removal of oxygen); over time it has come to refer more broadly both to materials/technologies that remove oxygen and to the process itself.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process of removing oxygen or an agent/substance used to remove oxygen (e.g., an oxygen-scavenging packet added to packaged food).
Manufacturers often include oxygen-scavenging packets in sealed food packages to prevent spoilage.
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Adjective 1
designed to remove or that removes oxygen from an environment, material, or product (e.g., oxygen-scavenging packaging or coatings).
The factory switched to oxygen-scavenging packaging to extend the shelf life of its products.
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Last updated: 2025/11/10 09:28