vestigial
/vɛˈstɪd͡ʒɪəl/ adjective, noun
Forms vestigials
- adjective Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a trace from the past.
- adjective Not fully developed in mature animals.
- adjective (evolutionary theory) Of a vestigial structure; that has lost all or most of its original function in the course of evolution.
- noun (evolutionary theory) A small, degenerate, or imperfectly developed part or organ which has been more fully developed in some past generation.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin vestīgium + -al. By surface analysis, vestige + -ial.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to a vestige or remnant; like a vestige.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “vestigial”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details