dregs

/drɛgz/

Those little grains of tea or coffee left at the bottom of the cup are known as the dregs. The dregs are the least wanted portion, or the residue.

Literally speaking, dregs refers to sediment at the bottom of a liquid such as tea, but figuratively you can use dregs to mean “a small amount left.” If you are running out of food in your refrigerator, you might say, “We’re down to the dregs in here.” Dregs is also used in the same way as the expression “bottom of the barrel.” The “dregs of society,” for instance, is a negative phrase that describes people whom the speaker considers to be useless.

Definitions of dregs

1. noun

   sediment that has settled at the bottom of a liquid
   synonyms: settlings

   types:

   grounds

   dregs consisting of solid particles (especially of coffee) that form a residue

   coffee grounds

   the dregs remaining after brewing coffee

   type of:

   deposit, sediment

   matter that has been deposited by some natural process
2. noun

   a small part or portion that remains after the main part no longer exists
   synonyms: leftover, remnant

   type of:

   balance, remainder, residual, residue, residuum, rest

   something left after other parts have been taken away
3. noun

   the most worthless or undesirable part of something
   type of:

   component, component part, constituent, moiety, part, portion

   something determined in relation to something that includes it