/ri mayn"deuhr/ , n.
1. something that remains or is left: the remainder of the day.
2. a remaining part.
3. Arith.
a. the quantity that remains after subtraction.
b. the portion of the dividend that is not evenly divisible by the divisor.
4. Math. the difference between a function or a number and an approximation to it.
5. Law. a future interest so created as to take effect at the end of another estate, as when property is conveyed to one person for life and then to another.
6. remainders , Philately. the quantities of stamps on hand after they have been demonetized or otherwise voided for postal use.
7. a copy of a book remaining in the publisher's stock when its sale has practically ceased, frequently sold at a reduced price.
adj.
8. remaining; leftover.
v.t.
9. to dispose of or sell as a remainder.
[ 1350-1400; ME remaindre to REMAIN ]
Syn. 1. residuum, remnant, excess, rest, overage. 2. REMAINDER, BALANCE, RESIDUE, SURPLUS refer to a portion left over. REMAINDER is the general word ( the remainder of one's life ); it may refer in particular to the mathematical process of subtraction: 7 minus 5 leaves a remainder of 2. BALANCE, originally a bookkeeper's term referring to the amount of money left to one's account ( a bank balance ), is often used as a synonym for REMAINDER: the balance of the day.
RESIDUE is used particularly to designate what remains as the result of a process; this is usually a chemical process, but the word may also refer to a legal process concerning inheritance: a residue of ash left from burning leaves. SURPLUS suggests that what remains is in excess of what was needed: a surplus of goods.