remnant
remnant Lexical Profile
remnant Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small remaining quantity or surviving trace of something after the main part has disappeared, been used, or been destroyed.
"Archaeologists uncovered the stone remnants of a medieval fortress beneath the modern town square."
A small piece of cloth or carpet left over at the end of a bolt or roll and often sold at a reduced price.
"She purchased a silk remnant from the fabric shop to sew a decorative cushion cover."
A small surviving group of people or followers who preserve a tradition, belief, or community after a larger population has dispersed or declined.
"A faithful remnant of the ancient community continued to speak their ancestral language in the mountain villages."
• adjective
Remaining as a small surviving trace, fragment, or portion of a larger original whole, especially in ecology or geology.
"Conservationists are working to protect the remnant forest patches scattered across the agricultural valley."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Anglo-Norman and Old French remenant, a noun use of the present participle of remaigner ('to remain'), from Latin remanere ('to stay behind').