Remains

The word remains has several related but distinct senses. As a noun, it most commonly refers to parts left after the rest has been removed or destroyed, including leftovers, remnants, and debris. It can also refer to a dead body, often in forensic or archaeological contexts; in polite or clinical language, the phrase "human remains" is used.

In archaeology and paleontology, remains denote physical traces of past life, such as bones, teeth, tool residues, or features like hearths and foundations. The phrase "archaeological remains" covers both organic and inorganic material that survives through time. The study of remains, archaeology, helps reconstruct past lifeways.

In everyday usage, remains may denote leftovers or vestiges of something that has been removed or destroyed, such as the remains of a meal or the remains of a building.

The verb form remains is the third-person singular present tense of remain, as in "She remains at the scene," meaning to continue to exist, stay, or be in a place.