residue

residue — noun

1. the thin layer or trace that stays on a surface or inside a container once most

1.nounB2
Definition

the thin layer or trace that stays on a surface or inside a container once most of the substance has been removed or consumed

Example

After Nadia cleaned the oven, she found a sticky residue on the bottom tray.

collocation: sticky residue

The lab tested the river and found traces of chemical residue from the factory.

Common collocations
  • sticky residue
  • chemical residue
  • pesticide residue
  • leave a residue
  • residue on [surface]
  • residue of [substance]
  • traces of residue
Synonyms
  • remnant

    more general — can refer to any leftover part, not necessarily a physical substance; remnant of a tradition, remnant of cloth

  • leftover

    less formal; commonly used for uneaten food or small remaining amounts of supplies

  • sediment

    narrower — specifically solid matter that settles at the bottom of a liquid

Grammar Patterns

residue + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often refers to a visible or detectable trace left on a surface, especially after cleaning, cooking, or industrial processing. Commonly paired with adjectives such as sticky, greasy, chemical, or pesticide.

Common Mistakes

There was a residue soup at the bottom of the pot.
There was a residue of soup at the bottom of the pot.
residue is not used alone as a standalone noun before the source; use 'residue of' to specify what it came from.
The residue water was dirty.
The water residue was dirty.
place residue after the substance, not before it.

2. what someone leaves behind in wealth and belongings once estate taxes, creditors

2.nounC1
Definition

what someone leaves behind in wealth and belongings once estate taxes, creditors, and specific bequests have been deducted from the total

Example

Gabriel left the residue of his estate to a children's charity in his will.

register: formal/legal; pattern: residue of [one's] estate

After the debts and taxes were paid, the residue went to Hui and her brother.

Common collocations
  • residue of the estate
  • residue clause (in a will)
  • residuary beneficiary
  • the residue to be divided
Synonyms
  • remainder

    the closest synonym in legal English; 'residuary estate' or 'residue' are the formal terms in wills

  • rest

    everyday word — too informal for legal documents but acceptable in casual explanation

Grammar Patterns

the residue + of + possession/estate

Usage Note

This is a technical legal term used in wills and estate planning. In Taiwan, the equivalent legal concept is 遺產剩餘額. The word is almost always preceded by the definite article 'the' in this sense. Only appears in singular form.

Common Mistakes

She got the residue of the money.
She inherited the residue of the estate.
in this sense, residue refers to the whole remaining estate, not just leftover cash.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to something that stays after a larger part has been removed, but they differ in scope and context. Residue focuses on a thin or trace amount left on a surface or after a process — typically physical and often undesirable (sticky residue, chemical residue). Remainder is more neutral and mathematical: it is what is left after a part is taken away, used in both everyday language (spend the remainder of the day) and legal language (remainder of the estate). Remnant suggests a surviving fragment of something larger that has mostly disappeared, often implying history or nostalgia (a remnant of the old wall). Leftover is the most informal and concrete, typically used for uneaten food or small unused supplies (leftover pizza, leftover paint). Rest is the most general word — it can replace any of the others in casual use (eat the rest, the rest of the money) but lacks the precision of technical contexts. In formal writing, choose residue for scientific traces, remainder for arithmetic or legal division, and remnant for historical fragments.

residue ↗remainder ↗remnant ↗leftover ↗rest ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • residue analysis
  • residue level
  • residue test

Phrases

  • leave a residue
  • contain residue
  • remove the residue
  • reduce residue

Prepositions

  • residue of
  • residue on
  • residue from

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Residue entered English in the 14th century from the French word résidu, which came from the Latin noun residuum meaning 'what remains behind.' The Latin root is formed from the prefix re- (back, again) and the verb sedēre (to sit), so the literal picture is of something that 'sits back' or 'stays behind' after the rest has moved on. The chemical and legal senses both developed in the 17th–18th centuries as English became the language of science and law.