vestige
/'vestidʤ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A trace, mark, or visible sign left by something that is gone or has disappeared: A "vestige" is a small remaining part or indication of what once existed but is now largely gone or lost.
- A surviving remnant or relic of something that is typically from the past: It can refer to a physical object, structure, or feature that remains from an earlier time or state.
- (Biology) A degenerate or imperfectly developed biological structure or organ that was more fully developed in an earlier stage of the individual, a past generation, or a related species: This is a specialized scientific meaning.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The old stone wall is the last vestige of the medieval castle that once stood here.
- Her polite smile was the only vestige of her earlier anger.
- The appendix in humans is considered a vestige of a larger organ that aided in digesting cellulose.
Advanced Usage
- "not a vestige of": used to emphasize the complete absence of something.
- After the fire, there was not a vestige of the original building left.
- His story contained not a vestige of truth.
Variants and Related Words
- Vestigial (adj): Referring to something that is a vestige; remaining as a small, often functionless, trace of something that was once more significant.
- The wings of flightless birds are vestigial structures.
Synonyms
- Trace: A very small quantity or indication of something's presence.
- Relic: An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical interest.
- Remnant: A small remaining quantity of something.
- Remains: The parts left over after other parts have been removed, used, or destroyed.
Idioms and Phrases
- "A vestige of the past": Something that remains from a former time, often seen as outdated.
- The handwritten ledger was a vestige of the past in the fully digital office.
Noun
- an indication that something has been present
- there wasn't a trace of evidence for the claim
- a tincture of condescension