Meaning & use
orts
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“orts” is a form of “ort”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralold-fashionedliterary
Small pieces of food left on a plate after a meal.
Grammar: Used in the plural; the singular 'ort' exists but is rare.
Patterns
- the orts on a plate
- leave orts
The servant cleared away the orts left on the plates.
He scraped the orts into the bin and washed the dishes.
nounpluralfigurativeliterary
Bits of anything left over and thrown away as worthless.
Grammar: Figurative use, still plural; often suggests something unwanted.
Patterns
- the orts of something
The book is a collection of orts from a lifetime of notebooks.
Word forms
| singular | ort |
|---|
Common combinations
- leave orts
- The child always leaves orts on her plate.
- clear away the orts
- A maid came in to clear away the orts.
- scrape the orts into the bin
- He scraped the orts into the bin without a word.
Synonyms and how they differ
- leftovers
- The everyday word for uneaten food; 'orts' is far more literary and old-fashioned.
- scraps
- Small bits of food, often for animals; 'scraps' is much more common than 'orts' today.
Word family
- ort noun
- The rare singular form, meaning one small leftover piece.
Commonly confused: orts or orts?
orts vs orts
Do not confuse with 'orts' and 'orts' — there is no common word 'orts' in modern speech, so if you hear it, it is probably this old literary plural.
Practice
In older books, what are 'orts'?
Choose one answer.
'Orts' means leftover bits of food; the other options describe unrelated things that the word never means.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “orts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.