Today's Word

Vestige

VES-tij

Definition

(noun) A trace or remnant of something that is disappearing or no longer exists; the last remaining evidence.

Example

The old stone wall is the last vestige of the farmstead that once occupied this hillside.

Word Origin

Late Middle English: from French, from Latin “vestigium” meaning “footprint.”

Fun Fact

Evolutionary biology uses “vestigial structures” for body parts that once served functions but now remain as barely functional remnants—wisdom teeth, appendixes, and the human tailbone are vestiges of our evolutionary past. Your “goosebumps” are vestiges of when our ancestors had more body hair that could stand up for insulation or intimidation. Languages preserve vestiges too: English spelling retains vestigial letters from Old French pronunciation long abandoned. The phrase “not a vestige remains” emphasizes complete disappearance—when even vestiges vanish, nothing’s left. Archaeologists search for vestiges of ancient civilizations, finding meaning in fragments. Unlike “relic,” which suggests something preserved, vestiges are actively fading, making them melancholy reminders of impermanence. Every tradition eventually becomes a vestige if practiced long after its original context disappears.

Previous Words

Inimical

Today's Word

Inimical

ih-NIM-ih-kul

Definition

(adjective) Likely to cause harm or work against something; hostile and damaging to a person or cause.

Example

The startup’s chaotic management style proved inimical to creativity, driving away the very talent it needed most to survive.

Word Origin

Inimical derives from the Latin inimicalis, meaning “hostile” or “unfriendly,” rooted in inimicus — “enemy” — built from in- (“not”) and amicus (“friend”). It shares its ancestry with the word enemy, both tracing back to the same Latin root. It entered English in the 17th century, used to describe forces, conditions, or people that actively work against something rather than simply being indifferent to it.

Fun Fact

The Latin amicus — friend — sits at the root of a surprisingly large family of English words. Amiable, amicable, amity, and even amateur (originally meaning one who does something out of love) all share the same ancestor. Inimical is the dark twin of this family — the “un-friend,” so to speak — which makes it one of the rare words whose etymology tells you exactly what it means the moment you know its root. Linguists call this kind of transparent etymology a “motivated” word, where the meaning feels inevitable once the parts are understood.

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Vestige

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Previous Words

Inimical

Inimical

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Inimical

Truculent

Obsequious

Abberation

Ubiquitous