Definition

Noun (plural form, used with a plural verb) 1. Leftover bits of food, especially those not considered fit for a main meal: Small, leftover pieces of food, often collected after a meal or during food preparation, which are typically discarded or given to animals. 2. Discarded or waste material from any process: While often referring to food, it can also broadly mean small leftover pieces or fragments of anything, such as paper, metal, or cloth.

Usage

• The word is almost always used in its plural form, "scraps."
• It commonly refers to food waste but can be extended to other materials.
• It often implies the items are of little value and are destined to be thrown away or recycled.

Examples

• Food context: "She collected the scraps from the plates to put in the compost bin."
• Food context: "The chef saved vegetable scraps to make a flavorful stock."
• General material context: "The floor of the workshop was covered in metal scraps."

Advanced Usage

• "To be thrown on the scrap heap" (idiom, derived from 'scrap'): To be discarded as useless or obsolete.
  • "Old technologies are quickly thrown on the scrap heap."
• "Scraps of information": Small, disconnected pieces of information.
  • "He tried to piece the story together from scraps of conversation he overheard."

Variants and Related Words

• Scrap (singular noun): A single small piece or fragment of something.
  • "He wrote the number on a scrap of paper."
• Scrap (verb): To discard something as useless.
  • "They decided to scrap the old project and start anew."
• Scrappy (adjective): Made up of scraps or fragments; determined and resourceful in a fight (different, common meaning).
  • "She has a scrappy, never-give-up attitude."

Synonyms

• Leftovers (specifically for food)
• Odds and ends
• Bits and pieces
• Remnants
• Offcuts (for materials like cloth or wood)

Antonyms

• Whole
• Entirety
• Meal (in the food context)

Related Phrases

• Kitchen scraps: Specifically refers to food waste from cooking or eating.
  • "We keep a bin for kitchen scraps under the sink."
• Fight over scraps (idiom): To argue or compete fiercely for very limited resources or rewards.
  • "The smaller companies were left to fight over the scraps of the market."

Noun

1. food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)