salvage

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/ˈsæl.vɪdʒ/
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Saving value from danger or ruin, whether as an act, a recovered thing, a verb of rescue, or a maritime reward for successful recovery.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • Old doors and fixtures were kept as salvage during the renovation.
  • The court calculated salvage from the value of the recovered cargo.
  • The site was closed while salvage crews secured the damaged roof.
  • Only a little salvage remained after the warehouse fire.
  • The sculptor used industrial salvage in the installation.

Similar words

restore
scrap
recovery
reclaimed material
reclamation
salvage claim
rescue operation
reward
redeem
payment

Meanings

Save from loss or ruin

verb
recovery
neutral
To recover something from danger, damage, or destruction, or to preserve value in a situation that is close to failing.

Usage

Use salvage when the point is saving what can still be saved, from cargo after a wreck to a project, season, reputation, or file.

Examples

  • Divers worked through the night to salvage cargo from the wreck.
  • Archivists managed to salvage several letters from the flooded basement.
  • The technician recovered enough files to salvage the project.
  • A late goal helped the club salvage a draw.
  • The apology was an attempt to salvage his reputation.
  • After the fire, only a few beams could be salvaged for reuse.
  • The rescue crew hoped to salvage the stranded boat before the storm returned.

Common mistakes

Ordinary fixing is overstated as salvage when nothing is being recovered from serious loss.
IncorrectCorrect
She salvaged the lamp by changing the bulb. She repaired the lamp by changing the bulb.
The team salvaged a perfect season. The team completed a perfect season.
I salvaged the report on my laptop before editing it. I saved the report on my laptop before editing it.

Similar words

save
rescue
recover
retrieve
reclaim
preserve
restore
redeem

Rescue or recovery operation

noun
recovery
neutral
The work or business of saving property from danger, especially ships, cargo, buildings, or possessions after a disaster.

Usage

Use salvage for the operation, process, or trade of recovering endangered property, not for rescue of people alone.

Examples

  • The company specializes in marine salvage after major storms.
  • The museum funded the salvage of artifacts from the burned archive.
  • A complex salvage operation removed fuel from the grounded ship.
  • The insurer hired contractors for the salvage after the warehouse fire.
  • Bad weather delayed the salvage of the sunken vessel.
  • The site was closed while salvage crews secured the damaged roof.
  • Officials approved the salvage plan before work began.

Common mistakes

Human rescue is called salvage only when property recovery is also the focus.
IncorrectCorrect
The lifeguard performed a salvage of the swimmer. The lifeguard performed a rescue of the swimmer.
The charity organized salvage for the missing hikers. The charity organized a search and rescue for the missing hikers.
The mechanic did a salvage on the engine oil. The mechanic did maintenance on the engine oil.

Similar words

recovery
rescue
retrieval
reclamation
recovery work
rescue operation

Recovered property or useful material

noun
materials
neutral
Property, parts, or material saved from destruction and kept because it still has use or value.

Usage

Use salvage for what has been recovered, such as architectural parts, scrap metal, vehicle parts, or goods saved from a damaged site.

Examples

  • The designer built the table from architectural salvage.
  • Workers sorted the salvage into metal, wood, and glass.
  • The yard sells salvage from damaged cars.
  • Only a little salvage remained after the warehouse fire.
  • The sculptor used industrial salvage in the installation.
  • Old doors and fixtures were kept as salvage during the renovation.
  • The auction listed the boat's salvage separately from the hull.

Common mistakes

New or ordinary secondhand goods are mislabeled as salvage when they were not recovered from damage or loss.
IncorrectCorrect
The shop sells salvage made fresh at the factory. The shop sells new material made at the factory.
I bought salvage clothes from a normal clearance rack. I bought discounted clothes from a normal clearance rack.
The contractor ordered salvage directly from the mill. The contractor ordered new lumber directly from the mill.

Similar words

scrap
reclaimed material
recovered goods
reusable material
remnants
parts
reclaimed stock

Reward for maritime rescue

noun
legal
technical
Compensation owed to someone who voluntarily and successfully saves a ship, cargo, or other maritime property from danger.

Usage

Use salvage in legal and insurance contexts for the award or claim that follows successful maritime recovery.

Examples

  • The court calculated salvage from the value of the recovered cargo.
  • The crew filed a claim for salvage after towing the vessel to port.
  • Maritime law allows salvage when property is saved from peril at sea.
  • The parties disputed the amount of salvage owed to the salvors.
  • A successful recovery can create a right to salvage.
  • The judge reduced the salvage award because the risk was limited.
  • Professional salvors often work under contracts that set salvage terms.

Common mistakes

An insurance payout is confused with salvage, but the legal sense is a reward for recovery work.
IncorrectCorrect
The owner received salvage for the damaged ship from the insurer. The owner received an insurance payout for the damaged ship.
The repair bill was the salvage owed to the shipyard. The repair bill was the fee owed to the shipyard.
The passengers claimed salvage for leaving the boat. The rescuers claimed salvage for saving the boat.

Similar words

award
reward
compensation
payment
salvage award
salvage claim

Usage

Choose salvage when something valuable is recovered from serious damage, danger, or likely failure, and reserve the legal reward sense for maritime recovery.

Common mistakes

Calling ordinary repair salvage overstates the word, since salvage normally involves recovery from danger, loss, or serious damage.

Etymology

From French and Middle French salvage, first used in English for payment for saving a ship from wreck or capture. It traces back through Old French salver to Latin salvare, meaning to make safe.

FAQ

What does salvage mean as a verb?

It means to save or recover something from danger, damage, destruction, or likely failure.

What does salvage mean as a noun?

It can mean a recovery operation, the property or material recovered, or a maritime reward for saving property at sea.

Is salvage the same as repair?

No. Repair fixes something, while salvage saves what can still be recovered from serious loss or damage.

Can salvage be figurative?

Yes. A reputation, project, season, or deal can be salvaged when enough value is saved from failure.

What is maritime salvage?

It is the work of saving a ship, cargo, or other maritime property from danger, often with a legal claim to reward.

What is salvage material?

It is recovered property, parts, or material that still has value, such as scrap metal, old fixtures, or vehicle parts.

What does salvage title mean?

It is a vehicle title brand showing that a vehicle was badly damaged or treated as uneconomical to repair under the relevant rules.

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