The Leftovers: Meaning, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：Leftovers (The leftovers)

The leftovers 🔊

/ðə ˈlɛftˌoʊvərz/

Food that remains after a meal, often saved to eat later.

Leftovers 🔊

➕

/ˈlɛftˌoʊvərz/

Food that has not been eaten during a meal and is saved for later consumption.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

left (remaining) + over (excess) + plural -s.

💡 Mnemonic

Left + over = food left from a meal. Think of containers marked 'leftovers'.

📖 Example

After the family reunion dinner, the leftovers filled the entire fridge, ready for tomorrow's lunch. 🔊 After the family reunion, the remaining dishes filled the fridge, being saved for the next day's lunch.

🔗 Collocations

leftover containers – Containers used to store leftover food

leftover chicken – Chicken that remains after a meal

leftover pizza – Pizza that has not been eaten

🔄 Synonyms

scraps (n.) – Small pieces of food that are not eaten during a meal

remnants (n.) – Small remaining parts of food after a meal

leftover food (phrase) – Food that remains uneaten

🌱 Derivatives

leftover (adj.) – Remaining after a meal; uneaten

📖 Cultural Story

Combining 'left' (remaining) and 'over' (excess), 'leftovers' emerged in 15th century English. Its modern use boomed with refrigeration, symbolizing frugality and meal prep culture.