leftover

English

Alternative forms

• left over, left-over

Etymology

From left (“remaining", "abandoned”) + over (“excess”)

Adjective

leftover (not comparable)

1. Remaining; left behind; extra; in reserve.

   Do you want some of the leftover supplies from the event?

2. (chiefly plural, usually of food) Remaining after a meal is complete or eaten for a later meal or snack.

   I have some leftover spaghetti in the fridge, so I don't plan to cook tonight.

   Not leftovers again.

Usage notes

• When used after a verb (as part of a predicate phrase), use two separate words:

  I can walk for miles and still have energy left over.

Translations

remaining, left behind

• Dutch: restant (nl) n
• Finnish: tähteeksi jäänyt (fi)
• French: restant (fr) m, restante (fr) f

• German: übrig (de), übergeblieben (de)
• Russian: оставшийся (ru) (ostávšijsja)
• Turkish: artakalan (tr), fazladan (tr)

remaining as meal is complete

• Dutch: kliekje (nl) n
• Finnish: tähteeksi jäänyt (fi)

• French: restant (fr) m
• Russian: оставшийся (ru) (ostávšijsja)

Noun

leftover (plural leftovers)

1. Something left behind; an excess or remainder.

   It's a leftover from yesterday, but it's still perfectly good.

   The entire wheel of cheese is a leftover from the party.

Translations

something left behind

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 殘餘 (cmn), 残余 (cmn) (cányú)

• Finnish: tähde (fi)
• French: reste (fr) m

• German: Rest (de) m
• Japanese: 残り (ja) (のこり, nokori), 贏余 (ja) (えいよ, eiyo)
• Portuguese: sobra (pt) f
• Russian: остаток (ru) (ostátok) m, объедки (ru) (for food only) pl