leftovers

nounB1Common in everyday speech and writing · #5,287 of 15,258leans spoken

Leftovers are the food remaining after a meal, saved for later. Eat the leftovers, leftovers for lunch, no leftovers.

It is nearly always plural. Leftovers are the entire economic case for cooking too much, and they improve overnight in about half of all dishes. Food waste research treats leftovers as the main opportunity for reduction in households. Note left over as two words, which is the adjective phrase — there is some left over; and that leftover as one word before a noun is also correct: leftover soup.

Definitions of leftovers

1nounleftoversThe food remaining after a meal, saved for later.B1
“We had the leftovers from Sunday's roast for lunch on Monday.”
- Said"There are leftovers in the kitchen if you're hungry later."
- WrittenThe leftovers made a better meal the next day than the dinner had made an evening.
- UsedCool leftovers quickly and finish them within two days.
- ContrastLeftovers, not waste. Waste goes in the bin; leftovers go in the fridge for tomorrow. waste →
- Not thisFood you never cooked is not leftovers. Leftovers were on the table once and survived.
- Exchange"What's for lunch?""Leftovers. There's still half the curry."
- SimplyWe have leftovers. We can have them tomorrow.
Patterneat / heat up / use up leftovers · leftovers from + meal · a box of leftovers · leftover rice

leftovers is remaining food.

Remember it

LEFT-OVERS → what is LEFT OVER on the plates

Whatever is left over after dinner goes into a box in the fridge: tomorrow's lunch.

hooks ontoleft

Where it comes from

Built from

left · English — remaining, abandoned
over · English — excess

leftover comes from left (“remaining, abandoned”) + over (“excess”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Definitions of leftovers

1nounleftoversThe food remaining after a meal, saved for later.B1

“We had the leftovers from Sunday's roast for lunch on Monday.”

Said"There are leftovers in the kitchen if you're hungry later."
WrittenThe leftovers made a better meal the next day than the dinner had made an evening.
UsedCool leftovers quickly and finish them within two days.
ContrastLeftovers, not waste. Waste goes in the bin; leftovers go in the fridge for tomorrow. waste →
Not thisFood you never cooked is not leftovers. Leftovers were on the table once and survived.
Exchange"What's for lunch?""Leftovers. There's still half the curry."
SimplyWe have leftovers. We can have them tomorrow.

Patterneat / heat up / use up leftovers · leftovers from + meal · a box of leftovers · leftover rice

leftovers is remaining food.