any pieces, scraps, fragments, etc, that are left unused or still extant, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etcthe remains of a meal; archaeological remains
the body of a dead person; corpse
Also called: literary remainsthe unpublished writings of an author at the time of his or her death
remain
verb(mainly intr)
to stay behind or in the same placeto remain at home; only Tom remained
(copula)to continue to beto remain cheerful
to be left, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etca little wine still remained in the bottle
to be left to be done, said, etcit remains to be pointed out
early 15c., from Anglo-French remayn-, Old French remain-, stressed stem of remanoir "stay, dwell, remain; be left; hold out," from Latin remanere "to remain, to stay behind; be left behind; endure, abide, last" (cf. Spanish remaner, Italian rimanere), from re- "back" (see re-) + manere "to stay, remain" (see mansion). Related: Remained; remaining.
remain
n.
"those left over or surviving," mid-15c., from Middle French remain, back-formation from Old French remanoir, remaindre, or else formed in Middle English from remain (v.). But the more usual noun in English has been remainder except in remains, euphemism for "corpse," attested from c.1700, from mortal remains.
