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
What is Buttermilk, Exactly? Traditionally, buttermilk was the high-protein liquid leftover from the butter-making process, explains Sarah Brekke, M.S., Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen brand manager. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Mar. 2024 Then conditions are expected to take a drastic upturn come Monday, which is expected to have a high of 58 degrees, warm enough to melt away any leftover snow. Miriam Marini, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024 Outpost, then on Holton Street, sold the leftovers – its first foray into ready-to-eat meals – and that, too, was a hit. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024 Maricopa County's Board of Supervisors took a preliminary vote last year to use $6.6 million of their leftover federal pandemic relief cash to help Scottsdale fund the project, after which the City Council took a vote of its own to accept the funds. Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 After witnessing his countrymen lining up to eat a stew made from leftovers from U.S. army bases, Chun came to believe that instant noodles could be the solution. Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The best part of the holiday ham may just be the leftovers. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024 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
Adjective
Any leftover soap can affect the flavor of your food and potentially degrade the seasoning over time. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 Telluride has a Western mining town vibe with a little leftover hippie tossed in. Amiee White Beazley, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024 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

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 29 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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