noun
scraps; cut-off piece; cut end
Refers to small leftover pieces after cutting something, such as cloth, paper, or wood. Often used for remnants that are not the main product.
布の切れっ端で小さな袋を作った。
I made a small pouch from fabric scraps.
紙の切れっ端にメモを書いた。
I wrote a note on a scrap of paper.
Similar meaning, but 切れっ端 (きれっぱし) is more colloquial and often implies smaller, more irregular scraps.
Compound of 切れ (kire, 'cut piece') + 端 (hashi, 'edge, end'), with gemination and voicing for emphasis. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the form is a common colloquial variant.