1technical a vestigial part of the body has never developed completely or has almost disappeared 〔器官等〕退化的
The legs of snakes are vestigial or absent altogether.
蛇的腿已经退化或完全消失。
2formalremaining as a sign that something existed after most of it has gone 残余的,残留的,遗迹的
his vestigial sense of pride
他残存的自尊心
Examples from the Corpus
vestigial• In most insects the 1st abdominal segment, and more especially its sternum, is reduced or vestigial.• The ears were vestigial, and layflat to the head.• Other cells especially sensitive to light became vestigial eyes, and those susceptible to vibrations became hearing organs, and so on.• Mandibles are wanting in many adult Trichoptera and most Diptera, and are absent or vestigial in almost all Lepidoptera.• As a result there was only a vestigialjuniormanagement system.• Some snakes have vestigiallegs.• It is often possible to see the vestigial remains of rearlimbs on these large snakes.• They were no longer men, just the vestigial remains of what had once been human beings.• vestigialremnants of Westerninfluence in the city