Showing results for "remains"

• present tense form of remain (3rd person singular).

remains

British  

/ rɪˈmeɪnz /

plural noun

1. any pieces, scraps, fragments, etc, that are left unused or still extant, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etc

   the remains of a meal

   archaeological remains

2. the body of a dead person; corpse

3. Also called: literary remains.  the unpublished writings of an author at the time of his or her death

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Explanation

The word remains can mean a dead body, so a detective might investigate to find out if some bones found in a lake are human or non-human remains. You can also use remains to mean the part of something that's left behind after the rest has been used or thrown away. So the remains of your birthday cake might just be some crumbs and melted candles, and the remains of a building after an earthquake could consist of a crumbling foundation. In a murder mystery, though, remains are likely to be human bodies.

Example Sentences

The committee assessed that the current level of the OCR remains accommodative, but added that there is some uncertainty around where to judge the current level of the neutral interest rate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

While today's leasehold system is very different, critics argue the basic principle remains the same - homeowners pay for the right to occupy land they do not fully own.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

Biology and genetics cannot tell us whether an individual born elsewhere remains a stranger to us or whether they become a full member of our own social environment.

From Science Daily • Jul. 7, 2026

He said investors could make room for such a shift by reducing overweight positions in traditional defensive sectors, which tend to lag when the economy is still expanding and a bull market remains intact.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026

Wisps of the monster’s remains curl off the blade.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• debris
• remnant