Beachcomber
/ˈbiːtʃˌkəʊmər/noun
A person who searches along the shore for useful or valuable items.
Did you know?The word is a transparent compound of beach + comber, and it originally described someone combing the shore for washed-up goods, a reminder that language often preserves the economics of survival.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bǣce
“shore, bank”
Old English
OE
camb
“comb; ridge; something with teeth”
17th Century
English
beach comb
“to search along the beach for washed-up items”
18th Century
English
beachcomber
“a person who frequents the shore, especially to scavenge or live by it”
Modern English
English
beachcomber
“a person who searches a beach for useful or valuable objects”