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residue meaning and examples

2025-09-08

Meaning

Residue (noun) refers to the part that remains after the main portion has been removed, used, or dealt with. It is the leftover or remainder of something.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun

  • Countable/Uncountable: Usually uncountable, but can be countable in certain contexts.

  • Usage: Often used in legal, chemical, and everyday contexts.

    • Legal: "residue of the estate" (the remainder after debts are paid).
    • Science: "chemical residue" (small amounts left after a process).
    • General: "food residue" (leftover particles).

Common Phrases

  • chemical residue
  • food residue
  • pesticide residue
  • residue of the estate
  • leave a residue

Collocations

  • Verb + residue: leave residue, remove residue, contain residue, wash off residue
  • Adjective + residue: toxic residue, sticky residue, dangerous residue, harmless residue
  • Noun + of + residue: traces of residue, layer of residue

Examples

  1. The glass had a sticky residue after the juice dried.
  2. Scientists found pesticide residue on the vegetables.
  3. The detergent leaves no residue after rinsing.
  4. The lawyer explained how the residue of the estate would be distributed.
  5. Smoke leaves a black residue on the walls.
  6. The medicine left a bitter residue in her mouth.
  7. The explosion left a chemical residue on the ground.
  • remainder
  • remnant
  • leftover
  • deposit
  • trace

Antonym

  • entirety
  • whole
  • total