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Synonyms
Examples of leavings in a Sentence
the leavings of the banquet were packed up and delivered to a shelter for the homeless
Recent Examples on the Web
What goes into human mouths must come out, and the leavings can offer a glimpse into ancient lifestyles.
—Charles Choi, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2018
Its glittering sea, forests, wildlife, rocky promontories, troves of ancient leavings and legacies — seep into human doings, as palpable and breathing as all its denizens.
—Joan Frank, BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2022
Such leavings have been studied for more than 10 years in people to better understand diet and health.
—Andrew Curry, Science | AAAS, 25 Aug. 2021
Future archaeologists examining the leavings of the 21st century will likely find scads of toxic crud, along with plenty of plastic trash.
—Sam Kean, Science | AAAS, 2 July 2021
Officers said her basement was covered in hay, rabbit food and other leavings related to the animals.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 17 May 2021
To search for what amounts to fossilized leavings of ancient life, astrobiologists have selected Jezero Crater, a basin where the water from various rivers pooled more than 3.5 billion years ago.
—Charlie Wood, Popular Science, 18 Feb. 2021
If Gáspár and Rieke are right, then the plume of debris formerly known as Fomalhaut b is actually the leavings of an exceedingly rare celestial event: the collision of two massive 125-mile-long asteroids.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2020
As time went on, the points got larger, and so did the animals that turned up among the cave-dwellers’ dinner leavings: wild pigs and deer.
—Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 12 June 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leavings.' 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
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of leavings was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near leavings
Cite this Entry
“Leavings.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leavings. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
leavings
plural noun
leav·ings
ˈlē-viŋz
: things remaining
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