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
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
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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.
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
The withering vestiges of avant-garde New York—the writers, critics, artists, filmmakers, and dancers who have hung on since its peak—feel a little less vital today without his contempt.
—
Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
The Wallace & Gromit franchise, created by Park in the late ’80s, occupies a special place as both a vestige of the craft’s past and evidence of its enduring present and future.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024
Izmir at first seems to be just a sprawling, modern city but tucked in alongside the contemporary buildings in the city center are vestiges of the settlement founded by the Greeks in the 11th century B.C. and subsequently occupied under Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule.
—Laurie Werner, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
The vestiges of the term’s Indian roots are most visible on platforms like XVIDEOS, which has videos from as early as two years ago featuring Indian performers that include the word.
—Mikelle Street, Them, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vestige 
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Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
The Wallace & Gromit franchise, created by Park in the late ’80s, occupies a special place as both a vestige of the craft’s past and evidence of its enduring present and future.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024
Izmir at first seems to be just a sprawling, modern city but tucked in alongside the contemporary buildings in the city center are vestiges of the settlement founded by the Greeks in the 11th century B.C. and subsequently occupied under Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule.
—Laurie Werner, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
The vestiges of the term’s Indian roots are most visible on platforms like XVIDEOS, which has videos from as early as two years ago featuring Indian performers that include the word.
—Mikelle Street, Them, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vestige
Articles Related to vestige
Dictionary Entries Near vestige
Cite this Entry
“Vestige.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vestige. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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