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A child chewed some orange segments, squeezed the juice out of the segments, then he spat the thing out.

That thing is a mass of orange fiber that has no juice in it.

What is that thing called generally in everyday conversation?

For example, "orange scraps", "orange leftover", "orange pulp" or "orange pith"?

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  • I think we just call it "gross".
    – James K
    Oct 19, 2022 at 5:17
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    I don't know that we would give it a specific name in 'everyday conversation'. We'd probably say something like "Put the bits in the bin", or we might call it 'chewed-up orange' if we had to be more specific.
    – Kate Bunting
    Oct 19, 2022 at 7:50
  • @KateBunting, I like "chewed-up bits/ orange", But, do British people say "pulp" for it?
    – Tom
    Oct 19, 2022 at 8:26
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    The un-chewed flesh of an orange, or other soft fruit, can be called 'pulp', so I wouldn't personally use it for the fibrous residue. See this.
    – Kate Bunting
    Oct 19, 2022 at 13:46
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    MW's definition (a1) is the appropriate one here, I think. (b) refers to vegetable matter that has been pulped as part of a process (making cider?) rather than what is discarded after eating.
    – Kate Bunting
    Oct 19, 2022 at 16:41

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You could call those parts "pulp". From Merriam-Webster:

a(1): the soft, succulent part of a fruit usually composed of mesocarp
b: a soft mass of vegetable matter (as of apples) from which most of the water has been extracted by pressure

"Pith" usually means a different part of the orange. It is part of the peel and contains no juice.

"Scraps" and "leftovers" are possible but more commonly refer to other things. We often say "scraps" when we do something with food remains (e.g., throw them out or use them for composting). "Leftovers" usually refers to food remains that can be eaten later.

This is how the terms are frequently used in the Northeast U.S. Other dialects may use the terms differently.

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  • What about "residue"?
    – Tom
    Oct 19, 2022 at 8:24
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    You might be able to technically call it residue but it's unlikely that anyone would choose that word for what was spit out. Residue is commonly used to describe something that is left behind by something else similar. The deep fryer left an oily residue on the wall. Pulp is the specific word for the fibrous parts of an orange. The baby ate the orange and spit the pulp out. I think most people would have a pretty good idea of what happened if you said that.
    – EllieK
    Oct 19, 2022 at 12:53

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