gathering cigarette butts; butt collector
Slang term; モク is slang for cigarette. Can refer to the act of collecting discarded cigarette butts or a person who does so, often associated with homelessness or poverty.
I saw someone gathering cigarette butts in the park.
He collects cigarette butts to get by.
Hiragana variant of the slang term; less common but still used.
Compound of モク (slang for cigarette, from 煙草 (tabako) reversed) and 拾い (picking up).