vestigial

/vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/

vestigial adjective: of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past.

Adjective

vestigial (not comparable)

Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past.
Not fully developed in mature animals.
(evolutionary theory) Of a vestigial structure; that has lost all or most of its original function in the course of evolution.
- Remnants of the vascular supply of lost organs may be present in the tissues of the receptacle when all external evidence of the organs has disappeared. Only rarely does the vascular supply of a vestigial organ disappear while external remnants are still present.2004, Pooja, “Flower” (chapter 1), in Pshysiology of the Angiosperms, New Delhi: Discovery Publishing House, →ISBN, Vestigial Vascular Tissue, page 48

vestigial (plural vestigials)

(evolutionary theory) A small, degenerate, or imperfectly developed part or organ which has been more fully developed in some past generation.

அழிந்ததன்சுவடு, பண்டெச்ச, பயனற்ற உடலுறுப்பு, சுவட்டுக்குரிய

بچا کھچا, خاک, کھرچن

അവശിഷ്ട, അവശേഷ

plural	vestigials

From Latin vestīgium + -al. By surface analysis, vestige + -ial.

What does vestigial mean?: Vestigial means of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past.
What is vestigial in Hindi?: Vestigial in Hindi is अवशेषी (avśeṣī). See Vestigial meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is vestigial?: Vestigial can be an adjective or a noun.
How do you pronounce vestigial?: Vestigial is pronounced /vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-vestigial.ogg.

Cite this entry: “vestigial.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/vestigial. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.