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

Any entry-level vestiges and remnants are about to disappear in an artificially intelligent puff of smoke. —Ryan Craig, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

Still, the vestiges of the grassroots gatherings live on, including via events recently held by several nonprofits. —Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024

Once the images were sent to Earth, astronomers subtracted all the lingering vestiges of light emitted from stars and reflected from dust in and around the Milky Way and published their results in the Astrophysical Journal. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2024

There is a mountain of evidence that kids are suffering from a broken vestige of a system that produces no positive value. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

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)

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