leftover
Americannoun
-
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
One big issue for some fashion retailers is having big piles of leftover stock that has to be discounted heavily so they can shift it.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Hamawy led me through the polished medical half of the office to a room around the corner with a conference table and a messy whiteboard with leftover green-marker notes from the primary.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
These dense stellar remnants are the leftover cores of Sun like stars that have exhausted their fuel and collapsed to only about 1% of their original size.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
But certain ingredients, like leftover olives, can get thrown into pasta.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
I was hungry again and thinking about the leftover chicken in the refrigerator, how I'd make myself a sandwich and maybe wash it all down with some of Ty'ree's nasty ginger ale.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
When you put food leftovers outside the house for collection, what do you think you are doing?
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Another reader stores leftovers and produce in Mason jars or reusable silicone bags instead of disposable zip-top bags.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
When she saw that the beeswax candles, which last significantly longer than paraffin candles, were selling faster than the honey, she decided to focus on making candles from the leftovers from her uncles’ hives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
But there could be value in the sector’s leftovers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Probably finishing the rest of these leftovers u gave me.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
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.
