From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishscroungescrounge1 /skraʊndʒ/ verb [intransitive, transitive] informal ASK FOR something/ASK somebody TO DO somethingto get money or something you want by asking other people for it rather than by paying for it yourselfscrounge for a group of children scrounging for foodscrounge something off/from somebody I managed to scrounge some money off my dad.scrounge around (for something) American English Leroy would scrounge around for old car parts. —scrounger noun [countable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
scrounge• When I was a kid I never had enough money for the bus, so I had to scrounge.• Nigel scrounged a drink off us before we left.• I scrounged a pound off her tonight.• For parts, he scrounged around various offices and supply rooms, scavenging what seemed useful.• Little thief, goddamn little thief, always after something, scrounging around.• We ate heartily every night, we could afford croissants at breakfast, and we stopped scrounging for cigarettes.• Like their comrades from earlier wars, many GIs developed and refined the craft of scrounging into a high art.• We managed to scrounge some cigarettes because we had no money left.• But scrounging supplies and space and creatively arranging the room are second nature to a good teacher.• Alcoholics are mocked and tormented when they can not scrounge the kopek needed for their next drink.• They scrounge wiring, plasterboard, wood, all kinds of building materials from local firms and are rebuilding the charred structure.scrounge around (for something)• Little thief, goddamn little thief, always after something, scrounging around.• For parts, he scrounged around various offices and supply rooms, scavenging what seemed useful.scroungescrounge2 noun → be on the scroungeOrigin scrounge (1900-2000) scrunge “to steal” ((1900-2000)) 