vestige

noun ves·tige \ ˈve-stij \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Editor's Note: vestige, Trace, and Track

Definition of vestige

1 a (1) : a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (such as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost

(2) : the smallest quantity or trace

b : footprint 1

2 : a bodily part or organ that is small and degenerate or imperfectly developed in comparison to one more fully developed in an earlier stage of the individual, in a past generation, or in closely related forms

See vestige defined for English-language learners

See vestige defined for kids

vestige was our Word of the Day on 08/12/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of vestige in a Sentence

a few strange words carved on a tree were the only vestige of the lost colony of Roanoke
the fossilized vestige of a dinosaur that traversed that muddy landscape millions of years ago

Recent Examples of vestige from the Web

But at least one vestige of Pruitt’s rocky tenure will continue for the foreseeable future: some of the more than a dozen inquiries into his spending and management practices.

— juliet eilperin and brady dennis, Washington Post, "Pruitt is out at EPA, but ethics probes might live on," 9 July 2018
To me, this is a vestige of slavery when black bodies were bought, sold and traded like perishable goods.

— SFChronicle.com, "We should think deeply about the Alison Ettel viral video — and why it matters," 28 June 2018
Christianizing Native children was considered akin to Americanizing them, the goal being to root out every last vestige of Native identity.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "Who Would Jesus Lock Up?," 15 June 2018
Built to house a showroom, offices and storage for the U.S. Tire Co., the ballet’s building is one of the last vestiges of Philadelphia’s automobile row.

— peter dobrin, Philly.com, "In N. Broad reversal, Pennsylvania Ballet will demolish historic building," 23 May 2018
But Abby remained intensely pained by the vestiges of masculinity in her face.

— jane mayer, The New Yorker, "The Story of a Trans Woman’s Face," 12 Mar. 2018
With the winds and most of the precipitation abating, Saturday's high tide may be the last vestige of this storm.

— eder campuzano, OregonLive.com, "Portland metro Saturday weather: Wow. It's a great day to go outside," 10 Mar. 2018
Her art retains some vestiges of her previous life.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Pat Miller's Photographic Abstractions," 12 June 2018
The pump jacks that remain aren’t the only vestiges.

— matt jaffe, Los Angeles Magazine, "Above the Surface and Below, L.A. Is Still an Oil Town," 5 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vestige.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

vestige, Trace, and Track

Vestige is derived via Middle French from the Latin noun vestigium, meaning "footstep, footprint, or track." Like trace and track, vestige can refer to a perceptible sign made by something that has now passed. Of the three words, vestige is the most likely to apply to a tangible reminder, such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone. Trace, on the other hand, may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect ("the snowfield is pockmarked with the traces of caribou"). Track implies a continuous line that can be followed ("the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs").

Origin and Etymology of vestige

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin vestigium footstep, footprint, track, vestige

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

vestige Synonyms

Synonyms

echo, ghost, relic, shadow, trace;

Related Words

memento, remembrance, reminder;

artifact;

afterimage, aftertaste;

balance, corpse, hangover, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap;

dreg(s), leavings, remain(s), residual, residue, rest;

Synonym Discussion of vestige

trace, vestige, track mean a perceptible sign made by something that has passed. trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

- the killer left no traces

vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

- boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

- the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

VESTIGE Defined for English Language Learners

vestige

noun

Definition of vestige for English Language Learners

: the last small part that remains of something that existed before
: the smallest possible amount of something

VESTIGE Defined for Kids

vestige

noun ves·tige \ ˈve-stij \

Definition of vestige for Students

: a tiny amount or visible sign of something lost or vanished : trace

We stayed outside to enjoy the last vestiges of daylight.

Medical Dictionary

vestige

noun ves·tige \ ˈves-tij \

medical Definition of vestige

: a bodily part or organ that is small and degenerate or imperfectly developed in comparison to one more fully developed in an earlier stage of the individual, in a past generation, or in closely related forms