What does resid mean?
A resid is what remains after the principal substance or feature of something has disappeared or been removed. In technical contexts, it usually refers to a small deposit left after liquid has evaporated or a chemical process has been completed, as in the resid of salt or oil left on a surface. More figuratively, a resid can mean a trace or vestige of an earlier period, influence, or quality. The word has a somewhat formal and technical tone, and many speakers use residue in ordinary contexts. Resid is therefore a concise and evocative alternative, especially in descriptions of material traces, industrial leftovers, or historical remnants. Its relatively limited use gives it a distinctive quality, while its close relationship to residue makes its meaning readily understandable.
nounA residue or remainder, especially a small quantity of material left after a substance has been dissolved, evaporated, or otherwise processed.
- A small quantity of material remaining after a substance has been dissolved, evaporated, or otherwise processed.
- A remaining trace or vestige of something, especially a quality, influence, or historical feature.
"A faint resid of salt remained on the surface after the water had evaporated."
"The technician cleaned the chemical resid from the container before reusing it."
"The building retains a resid of the nineteenth century in its narrow windows and stone stairways."
The plural is rare, since the word itself is uncommon in everyday usage.
"The samples contained several resids that required further analysis."
The word resid is essentially the short form of residue: the material that stays behind when the main substance disappears.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does resid come from?
The word comes through the Latin root residere, meaning 'to remain' or 'to sit back,' and is associated with residue and other English forms built on the same idea. The shorter form resid developed alongside the more familiar noun residue. Its modern sense follows the established sense of something left behind after a larger quantity has been removed or has disappeared.
Related word forms
How resid is actually used
Resid is relatively uncommon in everyday English and is most often encountered in technical, scientific, industrial, or formal contexts. Residue is generally preferred in neutral modern prose.
Easily confused with resid
Resid is a noun meaning a remaining substance or remainder, while reside is a verb meaning to live in a particular place or to be situated somewhere.
Resid and residue are closely related in meaning, but residue is the more standard and familiar term in general and scientific usage.