leftover
Americannoun
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Usually leftovers. food remaining uneaten at the end of a meal, especially when saved for later use.
-
anything left or remaining from a larger amount; remainder.
adjective
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of leftover
1890–95; noun use of verb phrase left over; see left 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They have so many meaningful songs like “Shining Star,” while “September” is a leftover that was a filler song from a greatest hits album that became a career-defining song.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
One of the most significant advantages of the system is what happens to the leftover salt.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Her husband tried feeding their child scraps of leftover bread as families huddled in an unfinished building near the outpost, some without proper food for days.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Spoon over warm rice and pile on whatever toppings you have around: avocado, cheese, cabbage, cilantro, leftover pico or a squeeze of lime.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
“I thought it was too gross to look at leftover food stuck to a plate.”
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
