vestigial

/ve-ˈsti-jē-əl/

Latin vestigium + English

adjective

  1. remaining in a form that is small or imperfectly developed and not able to function : being or having the form of a vestige

  2. remaining as the last small part of something that existed before

a vestigial tail

noun

  1. a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (such as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost

  2. the smallest quantity or trace

  3. footprint

trace vestige track mean a perceptible sign made by something that has passed. trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect. vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.