left·over
ˈleft-ˌō-vər 
1
: something that remains unused or unconsumed
especially
: leftover food served at a later meal
—usually used in plural
2
: an anachronistic survival : vestige
: not consumed or used
leftover food
leftover space
Synonyms
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
Katrina Cossey, Parents, 26 Apr. 2024
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
To ensure mealtime excess makes it that far, keep the fridge between 38 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and seal leftovers tightly in wrappers or containers with well-fitting lids.
—Corinne Iozzio, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
Bald eagles and other animals that eat the leftovers from game carcasses can ingest lead and suffer from poisoning, so Indiana DNR is asking hunters to find another type of round.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
That said, HelloFresh frequently provides more than enough food in each meal for leftovers.
—PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
To store leftovers: Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2024
Rinsing rice could help wash away undesirable materials, Sass said, including any leftover debris that could travel from farm to table, such as dirt or small pebbles.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
And like turkey at Thanksgiving, any leftover Easter ham just may be the best part.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
And because the ham is already sliced, serving is easy and the slices are great for making leftover sandwiches.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
Made from leftover grapes from the winemaking process, the limited-edition d.b. wine bag is an example of the designer’s quest to find innovative alternatives to leather.
—Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2024
Led by a sense of smell 100 times keener than that of humans, the predators have crashed through windows, ripped tiles off roofs and torn solid wood doors off their hinges to get at leftover pizza in a refrigerator.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024
That's because the magnetic fields of the contracting stars collect and concentrate leftover material at the poles (a superheated plasma), and then eject them into space as concentrated beams of energy.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
There are more leftover donuts from Valentine’s Day, these ones of unknown origin.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 7 Mar. 2024
But sometimes reheating leftover rice comes with unique health risks.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024
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
Noun
Lids are also handy for storing leftovers for later.
—Katrina Cossey, Parents, 26 Apr. 2024
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
To ensure mealtime excess makes it that far, keep the fridge between 38 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and seal leftovers tightly in wrappers or containers with well-fitting lids.
—Corinne Iozzio, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
Bald eagles and other animals that eat the leftovers from game carcasses can ingest lead and suffer from poisoning, so Indiana DNR is asking hunters to find another type of round.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
That said, HelloFresh frequently provides more than enough food in each meal for leftovers.
—PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
To store leftovers: Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2024
Rinsing rice could help wash away undesirable materials, Sass said, including any leftover debris that could travel from farm to table, such as dirt or small pebbles.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 30 Mar. 2024
And like turkey at Thanksgiving, any leftover Easter ham just may be the best part.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Inspectors observed large amounts of leftover meat on the meat slicer, as well as an employee was washing their hands with no soap after handling raw meat.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
And because the ham is already sliced, serving is easy and the slices are great for making leftover sandwiches.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 28 Mar. 2024
Made from leftover grapes from the winemaking process, the limited-edition d.b. wine bag is an example of the designer’s quest to find innovative alternatives to leather.
—Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2024
Led by a sense of smell 100 times keener than that of humans, the predators have crashed through windows, ripped tiles off roofs and torn solid wood doors off their hinges to get at leftover pizza in a refrigerator.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024
That's because the magnetic fields of the contracting stars collect and concentrate leftover material at the poles (a superheated plasma), and then eject them into space as concentrated beams of energy.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
There are more leftover donuts from Valentine’s Day, these ones of unknown origin.
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 7 Mar. 2024
But sometimes reheating leftover rice comes with unique health risks.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near leftover
Cite this Entry
“Leftover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leftover. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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