vestige

noun

ves·tige | \ ˈve-stij

Definition of vestige

1a(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 sense 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

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Vestige, Trace, and Track Example Sentences Learn More about vestige

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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, 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").

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 on the Web

Once regulars of Barneys, the Rose family is left high and dry in a one-stoplight town with nothing but each other and the the vestiges of their former wealth. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Schitt’s Creek Is Giving the Gift of Fashion This Holiday Season—and All 2019 Long," 20 Dec. 2018 And analysts question whether the vestiges of the Fields strategy will ever pay off. — New York Times, "Ford Changed Leaders, Looking for a Lift. It’s Still Looking.," 24 Apr. 2018 The glass access panels and monitors and all the vestiges of our digital hubs and nodes are dark like onyx plates in the walls. — Smith Henderson, Popular Mechanics, "Olympia," 20 Nov. 2017 Is that now a vestige of a bygone era, because things are so brutally partisan polarized? — Fox News, "Bill Bennett on McCain, warts and all," 27 Aug. 2018 The Cold War is a thing of past, the era of acute ideological confrontation of the two countries is a thing of remote past, is a vestige of the past. — Wsj Roundup, WSJ, "Excerpts From Trump-Putin News Conference in Helsinki," 16 July 2018 Then the sleeves, skirts, and pant legs push in another direction: These are vestiges of people. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "At the ICA, Kevin Beasley alchemizes dark histories," 23 May 2018 The only vestige of the Hollis Benton Gallery can be found in the 1984 comedy Beverly Hills Cop. — Andrea Alonso, Los Angeles Magazine, "Fact and Fiction Collide Inside an Exhibit Inspired by a “Forgotten” L.A. Legend—and Beverly Hills Cop," 12 June 2018 Santo Cielo, despite its slangy name, is a fine-dining restaurant whose globally inspired menu contains only vestiges of the cuisine that made the brothers successful. — Phil Vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Sky's the limit with ambitious Santo Cielo," 18 May 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.

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Dictionary Entries near vestige

vestibulitis

vestibulocochlear nerve

Statistics for vestige

Last Updated

14 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for vestige

The first known use of vestige was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for vestige

vestige

noun

English Language Learners Definition of vestige

: the last small part that remains of something that existed before

: the smallest possible amount of something

See the full definition for vestige in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vestige

noun

ves·tige | \ ˈve-stij

Kids Definition of vestige

: a tiny amount or visible sign of something lost or vanished : trace We stayed outside to enjoy the last vestiges of daylight.

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