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# vestigial

adjective (vestigial)

«vestigial» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (science) Describing a part of a body that is still there but has become small or useless over a very long time, such as the tiny leg bones inside some snakes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#m1)
2. (formal) Remaining as a small trace or bit of something that used to be bigger or more important. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons about evolution, vestigial body parts are clues that living things changed over a long time. Examples often given are the tailbone in humans, the wings of birds that cannot fly (like the ostrich and kiwi), and leg bones in whales. Phrases: "a vestigial organ", "vestigial wings", "a vestigial tail".

### Examples

- Ostriches have vestigial wings that cannot lift them into the air. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#x1)
- Whales have small vestigial leg bones inside their bodies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#x2)
- The human tailbone is often called a vestigial part. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#x3)
- The kiwi has tiny vestigial wings hidden under its feathers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#x4)
- Scientists study vestigial organs to learn how animals changed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#x5)
- Only a vestigial bit of the old castle wall is left. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/#x6)

### Note

Adjective, from "vestige" (a small trace that remains). Pronounced vest-IJ-ee-ul. Myth trap: "vestigial" does not always mean completely useless; some vestigial parts, like the human appendix and tailbone, still have small uses. It is a science and formal word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «vestigial» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vestigial/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«vestigial» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/vestigial.html) on Mova free.