vestige

noun

ves·​tige ˈve-stij 

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 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

Did you know?

Vestige, Trace, and Track

Vestige traces to Latin vestigium, meaning "footstep, footprint, or track." Like its parent, it is used to refer to a perceptible sign made by something that has passed or to a tangible reminder, such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

Synonyms

• echo
• ghost
• relic
• shadow
• trace

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

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

Editors’ Picks There’s History in These Cheese Pulls But the men share right-wing, nationalist politics and a vision for how the Republican Party should root out vestiges of old elites. —Sharon Lafraniere, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2024

The Warriors are a veteran team trying to hold onto the last vestiges of dominance—and perhaps pining for grudges that expired a half-decade ago. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

The use of microphones — another vestige of its past life on the lawn at Glimmerglass — resulted in an unavoidable and uniform flattening of the singers’ midranges. —Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024

It’s also remembered for its dangerous banked corners, which are no longer used, but vestiges of which are still visible at the track today. —Brad Spurgeon, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024

And a vestige, too, of an era when adultness was a bit more defined and refined. —Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2023

That doesn’t mean that aren’t still vestiges of that past. —Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

This is the last vestiges of the Bush, Cheney, Kasich Republican Party. —Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 16 Mar. 2024

Opponents labeled the plan a vestige of the Nazi era and took to the streets in numerous cities. —Justin Klawans, The Week Us, theweek, 21 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

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Kids Definition

vestige

noun

ves·​tige ˈves-tij 

1

a

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

vestiges of lost civilizations

b

: the smallest quantity or trace

not a vestige of regret

2

: a small and imperfectly developed bodily part or organ that is the remains of one that was more fully developed in an earlier stage of the individual, in a past generation, or in a closely related form

vestigial

ve-ˈstij-(ē-)əl 

adjective

Etymology

from French vestige "sign of something vanished or lost," from Latin vestigium "footprint" — related to investigate

Medical Definition

vestige

noun

ves·​tige ˈves-tij 

: 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