vestigial
[ ve-stij-ee-uh l, -stij-uh l ]
/ vɛˈstɪdʒ i əl, -ˈstɪdʒ əl /
adjective
of, relating to, or of the nature of a vestige: a vestigial tail.
RELATED WORDS
veiled, underlying, lurking, inherent, unrealized, smoldering, suppressed, simple, naive, rudimentary, underdeveloped, unsophisticated, undeveloped, elementary, primitive, embryonic, elemental, leftover, outstanding, surviving
Nearby words
- vestibuloplasty,
- vestibulospinal reflex,
- vestibulotomy,
- vestibulum,
- vestige,
- vestigial organ,
- vestigium,
- vestimentiferan,
- vesting,
- vestmannaeyjar
Origin of vestigial
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for vestigial
vestigial
/ (vɛˈstɪdʒɪəl) /
adjective
of, relating to, or being a vestige
(of certain organs or parts of organisms) having attained a simple structure and reduced size and function during the evolution of the speciesthe vestigial pelvic girdle of a snake
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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vestigial
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
vestigial
[ vĕ-stĭj′ē-əl, -stĭj′əl ]
adj.
Occurring or persisting as a rudimentary or degenerate structure.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
vestigial
[ vĕ-stĭj′ē-əl ]
Relating to a body part that has become small and lost its use because of evolutionary change. Whales, for example, have small bones located in the muscles of their body walls that are vestigial bones of hips and hind limbs.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.