leftover

[ left-oh-ver ]

/ ˈlɛftˌoʊ vər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR leftover ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

being left or remaining, as an unused portion or amount: leftover meatloaf.

Nearby words

Origin of leftover

1890–95; noun use of verb phrase left over; see left²

SYNONYMS FOR leftover

3. surplus, excess, extra.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR leftover ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for leftover

In Rwanda, an unbalanced ratio leaves 83 of every 100 citizens dependent on the leftover 17 for survival.
After the Genocide, Rwanda’s Widows Aging Alone|Nina Strochlic|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Human tails are part of the evolutionary baggage that we carry in our bodies, leftover from our ancestors.
The Crazy Way Creationists Try To Explain Human Tails Without Evolution|Karl W. Giberson|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This consisted of wine that was now free and leftover cheese.
Backstage at the Razzie Awards, Honoring Hollywood’s Worst Films|David Eckstein|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Three years on, doesn't it already feel like a leftover from a bygone era?
Occupy Needs to Ride Again|Blake Gopnik|January 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Empty the mushrooms from the strainer basket into the pot with the leftover broth.
The Gadget Chef: Reconstructed Chicken Soup|Megan McArdle|November 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Do not use mixtures which have been leftover and allowed to stand for some time.
The Pecan and its Culture|H. Harold Hume
Pour over the fruit whip and a little of the leftover raspberry puree.
Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book|Mary A. Wilson
Ross swallowed a very dry mouthful of grain and then stooped to scoop up some leftover snow in the shadow of a tree root.
The Time Traders|Andre Norton
A can of asparagus, a leftover from the housekeeping of the spring, was unearthed.
Molly Brown of Kentucky|Nell Speed
Lamua ang subrang tugnus, Preserve the leftover fry by salting them lightly.
A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff

British Dictionary definitions for leftover

leftover

/ (ˈlɛftˌəʊvə) /

noun

(often plural) an unused portion or remnant, as of material or of cooked food

adjective

left as an unused portion or remnant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for leftover

leftover

adj.

also left-over, "remaining, not used up," 1890, from left + over. The noun meaning "something left over" is from 1891; leftovers "excess food after a meal" (especially if re-served later) is from 1878; in this sense Old English had metelaf.

leftover

noun

adjective

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Origin of leftover

Examples from the Web for leftover

leftover

noun

adjective

leftover