remainder
remainder — noun
1. whatever (people, objects, or time) is still present once a portion has gone awa
whatever (people, objects, or time) is still present once a portion has gone away, been used up, finished, or taken away.
Christopher ate half the pizza and put the remainder in the fridge for breakfast.
the remainder of [thing] for what is left of an object
Sofie spent the remainder of the afternoon reading novels in the garden.
the remainder of + time period
Most students went home early, but the remainder stayed to finish the science project.
After paying rent, Yasmin used the remainder of her salary to buy school supplies for her sons.
Three players caught colds, and the remainder of the team had to play without substitutes.
- whole
the complete amount before any part is removed
文法句型
the remainder of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the' and followed by 'of + noun phrase'. Distinguish from sense 2: this general sense covers people, things, or time, while sense 2 is strictly the math result of division or subtraction.
常見錯誤
2. in arithmetic, the small leftover figure produced if one whole number cannot be
in arithmetic, the small leftover figure produced if one whole number cannot be split evenly by another.
When you divide 17 by 5, the answer is 3 with a remainder of 2.
a remainder of + number after division
Ilan's teacher asked the class to find the remainder when 100 is divided by 7.
find the remainder + when-clause
Even numbers always leave a remainder of zero when divided by 2.
Valentina checked her work and noticed her remainder was bigger than the divisor, which meant a mistake.
文法句型
a remainder of + number
用法筆記
Strictly a mathematical term, used only with division and subtraction. The remainder must always be smaller than the divisor. Outside math class, native speakers will say 'rest' or 'leftover', not 'remainder', for everyday quantities.
常見錯誤
3. a book that the publisher offers at a much lower price because it has stopped se
a book that the publisher offers at a much lower price because it has stopped selling at full price.
Reuben found a hardback biography of Mozart in the remainder bin for just three pounds.
remainder bin: place where discounted books sit
The little bookshop near Padma's flat sells mostly remainders to attract student customers.
plural 'remainders' for a class of cheap books
Pim picked up six cookbooks as remainders, paying less than the cost of one new copy.
The publisher shipped the unsold first edition to a chain that specialises in remainders.
文法句型
a remainder
remainder bin / table / shop
用法筆記
Mostly seen in the book trade and in journalism about publishing. Often appears in the compound 'remainder bin' or 'remainder table', the physical spot where shops display these cheap copies.
常見錯誤
remainder — verb
1. (of a publisher) to clear out copies of a book that has not sold by offering the
(of a publisher) to clear out copies of a book that has not sold by offering them at a heavy discount, usually with no plans to print more.
Omar's first novel was remaindered after the hardback failed to attract reviewers.
passive: be remaindered
The publisher decided to remainder the unsold travel guides before the new edition arrived.
active: remainder + object
Min was upset when she heard her cookbook would be remaindered just six months after publication.
Several titles from last year's poetry list have already been remaindered to make warehouse space.
- reprint
produce more copies because demand continues
文法句型
remainder + book/title
be remaindered
用法筆記
Almost always passive ('be remaindered'). Subject is usually a publisher or distributor; object is a book or title. Distinguish from selling at a sale: 'remainder' specifically means the publisher writes off the title and stops printing it.