leftover

1 of 2

noun

left·​over ˈleft-ˌō-vər How to pronounce leftover (audio)
1
: something that remains unused or unconsumed
especially : leftover food served at a later meal
usually used in plural
2
: an anachronistic survival : vestige

leftover

2 of 2

adjective

: not consumed or used
leftover food
leftover space

Examples of leftover in a Sentence

Noun Are we having leftovers again? The law is a leftover from earlier times.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Living Room Table The veneer base of the table was commissioned, and the top was pieced together from marble and leftovers from the terrazzo in one of the bathrooms. Chloe Sachdev, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 The researchers found that the leftovers contain barley and emmer grains, as well as seeds from a white goosefoot plant. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 For many of us, these leftovers are a welcome snack to refrigerate and get into later. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 So, here’s the problem: we are supposed to rejoice in our rest and celebrate the Sabbath day, and cold leftovers and raw vegetables are not exactly festive fare. Benjamin Dubow, Longreads, 20 Feb. 2024 Lentil Minestrone is built on leftovers and refrigerator scraps, with minimal shopping involved. Nick Siano, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2024 As with most foods, any unusual discoloration or strange smells coming from your rice mean your leftovers should be discarded. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 Chicken and dumplings recipe Store leftover chicken and dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 That would be better because the leftover amount after 100 years is closer to one fifth of a day. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
According to Ziploc, about 18 million pounds of leftover food was thrown out after Super Bowl-watch parties last year, so Kelce is encouraging people to bring Ziploc products with them to Super Bowl events to avoid waste. Lisa Respers France, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 Bennu is rich in carbon and is believed to be a leftover fragment from the formation of the solar system, a time capsule of sorts that may help illuminate the origin of life. George Petras, USA TODAY, 19 Jan. 2024 Right to Life, which advocates for leftover frozen embryos from IVF being released to other families for implantation. Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 There were also leftover grains and the remains of vegetables and fruits. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2024 Exfoliating versions, like Biologique Recherche's P50, are akin to paint stripper for the face, removing any hint of leftover grime from the day along with taking a pass at clearing pigmentation and smoothing fine lines. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 2 Feb. 2024 But the leftover stuff was my stuff, so there’s no issues. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2024 While putting leftover rice or pasta in the fridge can create resistant starch and increase potential health benefits, freezing food to reheat later doesn’t necessarily change the food’s nutritional makeup. Michelle Pugle, Health, 12 Jan. 2024 Altogether, that roughly $70 million in revenue typically is much greater than the municipal bond payments per year, creating leftover funds. Andrew Golden, Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leftover.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leftover was in 1864

Dictionary Entries Near leftover

Cite this Entry

“Leftover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leftover. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

leftover

noun
left·​over
ˈlef-ˌtō-vər
: something remaining
especially : food left over from one meal and served at another
usually used in plural
leftover adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on leftover

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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