leftover

/ˈlɛf.tə.vɜːr/

remaining food after a meal

We had plenty of leftovers from the party.

There was extra food remaining after the party.

informal

Food that remains after a meal or event and is often saved for later consumption

She packed the leftovers in containers for lunch tomorrow.

She saved the remaining food in containers to eat later.

Common in everyday contexts, often used to describe food saved from meals or events.

general

Something remaining after a process or event, often with reduced value or usefulness

The leftover materials were donated to a local school.

The remaining supplies were given to a school after the project ended.

Can refer to physical items, time, or resources that are not fully used.

Collocations

leftover foodfood saved from a previous mealleftover materialsunused supplies after a project

plural form, often referring to food

The term is most frequently used to describe food saved from meals, but can apply to other contexts.

The plural 'leftovers' is commonly used to refer to saved food.

From 'left' (past participle of 'leave') + 'over' (suggesting remaining beyond use). First recorded in the late 16th century.

Often used in informal contexts to describe food, but can also refer to other types of remainders.

left

remaining

root

over

beyond use

suffix

English Dictionary