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
Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Leftover Chicken: Casseroles are the perfect dish for your leftovers, and the King Ranch casserole is no exception.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
When warming leftovers in the microwave, try using the 50% power setting.
—Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Cattle farming plays an essential role in the agricultural sector, and utilizing leftover grains from microbreweries as cattle feed can help reduce the demand for other feed sources.
—Vinay Chandrashekar, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Egg salad recipe Store leftover egg salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2024
According to the pros, the main issue with hard water comes down to the buildup of mineral deposits on and in your hair, and the leftover product that can’t be fully washed out, both of which leave behind a residue on the hair shaft.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days for best results.
—Jessica Furniss, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Reheat leftovers in a 300-degree F oven or in the microwave, until hot all the way through.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 26 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
Given the value of the property and the $15,000 debt owed to the condo association, Evans’ lawyer estimated her portion of the leftover funds could be more than $30,000.
—Ben Wieder and, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Leftover Chicken: Casseroles are the perfect dish for your leftovers, and the King Ranch casserole is no exception.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
When warming leftovers in the microwave, try using the 50% power setting.
—Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Cattle farming plays an essential role in the agricultural sector, and utilizing leftover grains from microbreweries as cattle feed can help reduce the demand for other feed sources.
—Vinay Chandrashekar, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Egg salad recipe Store leftover egg salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2024
According to the pros, the main issue with hard water comes down to the buildup of mineral deposits on and in your hair, and the leftover product that can’t be fully washed out, both of which leave behind a residue on the hair shaft.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days for best results.
—Jessica Furniss, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Reheat leftovers in a 300-degree F oven or in the microwave, until hot all the way through.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 26 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.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near leftover
Cite this Entry
“Leftover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leftover. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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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
Nglish: Translation of leftover for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of leftover for Arabic Speakers
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