›to save goods from damage or destruction, especially from a ship that has sunk or been damaged or a building that has been damaged by fire or a flood: gold coins salvaged from a shipwreckAfter the fire, there wasn't much furniture left worth salvaging.Preserving and savingDefending and protecting›to try to make a bad situation better: It was a desperate attempt to salvage the situation.After the fraud scandal he had to make great efforts to salvage his reputation.Making things betterBecoming betterRestoring and revivingsalvage
noun[U]›They mounted a salvage operation after the fire.Preserving and savingDefending and protectingsalvageable
/-ə.bl̩/adjective›There is nothing that is salvageable in the building - we have lost everything.Preserving and savingDefending and protecting