leftover

See also: left-over, and left over

English

Alternative forms

• left over, left-over

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

leftover (not comparable)

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

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

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

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

• Albanian: gërdheshtër (sq) f
• Dutch: restant (nl) n
• Finnish: tähteeksi jäänyt (fi)
• French: restant (fr) m, restante (fr) f
• German: übrig (de), übergeblieben (de)
• Latin: residuus
• Portuguese: reservada (pt) f, conservada f, restante (pt), deixada (pt) f, deixado (pt) m
• Russian: оста́вшийся (ru) (ostávšijsja)
• Turkish: artakalan, fazladan

remaining as meal is complete

• Albanian: gërdheshtër (sq) f
• Dutch: kliekje (nl) n
• Finnish: tähteeksi jäänyt (fi)
• French: restant (fr) m
• Greek: υπόλοιπα n (ypóloipa)
• Italian: avanzato (it) m
• Russian: оста́вшийся (ru) (ostávšijsja)
• Spanish: sobrante (es)
• Turkish: artık yemek

Noun

leftover (plural leftovers)

1. Something left behind; an excess or remainder.

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

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

   Not leftovers again!

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

Translations

something left behind

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 殘餘／残余 (zh) (cányú)

• Finnish: tähde (fi)
• French: reste (fr) m
• German: Rest (de) m
• Italian: avanzo (it) m, rimanenza (it) f, residuo (it) m
• Japanese: 残り (のこり, nokori), 贏余 (えいよ, eiyo)
• Maori: toenga
• Mon: ဒၞာဲသှ်ေ
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: matrest m

  Nynorsk: matrest m

• Portuguese: sobra (pt) f
• Russian: оста́ток (ru) m (ostátok), объе́дки (ru) m pl (obʺjédki) (for food only)
• Spanish: sobra (es) f, resto (es) m, remanente (es) m, vestigio (es) m
• Turkish: kalan, artan (yemek)
• Walloon: resse (wa) m

food remaining after a meal — see leftovers