Word
salvage
Phoneticssal·vage, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsæɫvədʒ/
UK/sˈælvɪdʒ/
Definitions
01to rescue property
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to save something from a fire, a wreck, or a bad situation so it can be used again.
v. to rescue property from potential destruction, such as a shipwreck or fire, to prevent total loss. Transitive; requires a direct object.
“The divers managed to salvage several gold coins from the sunken ship.”
“After the warehouse fire, the owners spent weeks trying to salvage any equipment that hadn't been damaged by smoke or water.”
02to save a situation
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to try to fix a bad situation or relationship so it is not a total failure.
v. to preserve or recover something intangible, such as a reputation or a relationship, from failure or ruin.
“He tried to salvage his reputation by apologizing for his mistakes.”
“The legal team worked tirelessly to salvage the merger after the lead investor unexpectedly withdrew their financial backing.”
03rescued items
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Law Technical
n. the things that are saved from a disaster, or the act of saving them.
n. the act of rescuing a ship or its cargo from peril; also refers to the property so rescued or the compensation paid for the rescue.
“The company sold the salvage from the wreck to a scrap metal dealer.”
“Under maritime law, the crew was entitled to a significant portion of the salvage after bringing the abandoned vessel safely to port.”
04recycled materials
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. parts of old buildings or cars that are taken away to be sold and used again.
n. materials or components recovered from discarded items for the purpose of reuse or recycling.
“We went to a salvage yard to find a door for our old house.”
“The architect incorporated architectural salvage into the new design, using reclaimed timber and vintage light fixtures to add character.”
Real-World Examples
“The talks aim to salvage the plan for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territory shattered by war .” “Conor Grant’s late strike cancelled out Jayden Joseph’s second-half opener for Leicester and salvaged a deserved point for the home side.” Etymology
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.
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/salvage