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vestige

/ˈvɛstɪdʒ/
/ˈvɛstɪdʒ/
IPA guide

Other forms: vestiges

A vestige is a trace or reminder of something that has disappeared or is disappearing. A lump of snow with a carrot in it might be the vestige of a snowman.

Vestige derives from the Latin vestigium, "footprint," and that is a good way to think of it — as a little hint of what was there before. It's something left behind, like a puddle after a heavy rainstorm. Sometimes vestige is used to emphasize a small amount; for example, you might say that the robber didn't show even a vestige of remorse after he was caught.

Definitions of vestige
  1. noun
    an indication that something has been present
    synonyms: shadow, tincture, trace
    see moresee less
    types:
    footprint
    a trace suggesting that something was once present or felt or otherwise important
    type of:
    indicant, indication
    something that serves to indicate or suggest
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