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element

[ el-uh-muh nt ]

/ ˈɛl ə mənt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR element ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a component or constituent of a whole or one of the parts into which a whole may be resolved by analysis: Bricks and mortar are elements of every masonry wall.

Chemistry. one of a class of substances that cannot be separated into simpler substances by chemical means.

a natural habitat, sphere of activity, environment, etc.: to be in one's element; Water is the element of fish.

elements,

atmospheric agencies or forces; weather: a ruddy complexion from exposure to the elements.
the rudimentary principles of an art, science, etc.: the elements of grammar.
the bread and wine of the Eucharistic service.

any group of people singled out within a larger group by identifiable behavior patterns, common interests, ethnic similarities, etc.: He worried that the protest rally would attract the radical element.

one of the substances, usually earth, water, air, and fire, formerly regarded as constituting the material universe.

Mathematics.

an infinitesimal part of a given quantity, similar in nature to it.
an entity that satisfies all the conditions of belonging to a given set.

Geometry. one of the points, lines, planes, or other geometrical forms, of which a figure is composed.

Astronomy. any of the data required to define the precise nature of an orbit and to determine the position of a planet in the orbit at any given time.

Electricity. an electric device with terminals for connection to other electrical devices.

Radio. one of the electrodes in a vacuum tube.

Astrology. any of the four triplicity groupings of signs: fire, earth, air, or water.

Optics. any of the lenses or other components constituting an optical system.

Grammar. any word, part of a word, or group of words that recurs in various contexts in a language with relatively constant meaning.

Digital Technology. the start and end tags in an electronic document or web page, along with the text or other content between these tags.See also tag¹(def 9b).

Words nearby element

eleia, eleidin, elektra, elektrostal, elem., element, element 104, element 105, element 106, element 107, element 108

Origin of element

1250–1300; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin elementum one of the four elements, letter of the alphabet, first principle, rudiment

SYNONYMS FOR element

Element, component, constituent, ingredient refer to units that are parts of whole or complete substances, systems, compounds, or mixtures. Element denotes a fundamental, ultimate part: the basic elements of matter; resolve the problem into its elements. Component and constituent refer to a part that goes into the making of a complete system or compound. Component often refers to one of a number of parts: a new component for the stereo system. Constituent suggests a necessary part of the whole: The constituents of a molecule of water are two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Ingredient is most frequently used in nonscientific contexts: the ingredients of a cake; the ingredients of a successful marriage.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR element ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM element

in·ter·el·e·ment, adjective, nounsub·el·e·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for elements

The approach was of a piece with other elements of national strategy.
Why Did We Panic After 9/11 and Ignore All We Knew About Responding to Security Threats?|Deborah Pearlstein|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But there was a lot more to Turner than a masochistic mission to understand the elements.
Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius?|Clive Irving|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It has all the elements necessary for drama, controversy, and suspense.
Amanda Knox: A Mother’s Obsession|Nina Darnton|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the onslaught of the elements has helped raise tensions to the point where a new explosion is expected any day.
Ukraine Could Explode in the Next 48 Hours|Anna Nemtsova|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

His main opponent is linked closely to the pro-Russian elements in the country.
Ukraine’s Wild and Wooly Elections|Anna Nemtsova|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, clean-ness, or neat-ness, is one of the elements that make hypocoristic terms (or terms of endearment) applicable.
Opuscula|Robert Gordon Latham
Strewn among the elements can be seen men, plants, and animals.
Studies in the History and Method of Science|Various
All nature was serene and the profoundest peace held dominion over all the elements.
The Black Phalanx|Joseph T. Wilson
Both of these elements govern a well-regulated household, and both should sway the political destinies of the entire human family.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV|Various
Beaw is the divine helper of man in his struggle with the elements.
Beowulf|R. W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for elements

element

/ (ˈɛlɪmənt) /

noun

any of the 118 known substances (of which 93 occur naturally) that consist of atoms with the same number of protons in their nucleiCompare compound 1 (def. 1)

one of the fundamental or irreducible components making up a whole

a cause that contributes to a result; factor

any group that is part of a larger unit, such as a military formation

a small amount; hintan element of sarcasm in her voice

a distinguishable section of a social grouphe belonged to the stable element in the expedition

the most favourable environment for an animal or plant

the situation in which a person is happiest or most effective (esp in the phrases in or out of one's element)

the resistance wire and its former, which constitute the electrical heater in a cooker, heater, etc

electronics another name for component (def. 2)

one of the four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the universe (earth, air, water, or fire)

(plural) atmospheric conditions or forces, esp wind, rain, and coldexposed to the elements

(plural) the first principles of a subject

geometry a point, line, plane, or part of a geometric figure

maths

any of the terms in a determinant or matrix
one of the infinitesimally small quantities summed by an integral, often represented by the expression following the integral signin ʃ b a f( x) d x, f( x )d x is an element of area

maths logic one of the objects or numbers that together constitute a set

Christianity the bread or wine consecrated in the Eucharist

astronomy any of the numerical quantities, such as the major axis or eccentricity, used in describing the orbit of a planet, satellite, etc

one of the vertical or horizontal rods forming a television or VHF radio receiving aerial

physics a component of a compound lens

Word Origin for element

C13: from Latin elementum a first principle, alphabet, element, of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for elements

element

[ ĕl′ə-mənt ]

n.

A substance that cannot be reduced to simpler substances by normal chemical means and that is composed of atoms having an identical number of protons in each nucleus.

A fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity.

Scientific definitions for elements

element

[ ĕl′ə-mənt ]

A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means. An element is composed of atoms that have the same atomic number, that is, each atom has the same number of protons in its nucleus as all other atoms of that element. Today 117 elements are known, of which 92 are known to occur in nature, while the remainder have only been made with particle accelerators. Eighty-one of the elements have isotopes that are stable. The others, including technetium, promethium, and those with atomic numbers higher than 83, are radioactive. See Periodic Table.

Mathematics A member of a set.

Word History

When Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev devised the Periodic Table in 1869, there were 63 known elements, which he classified by atomic weight, and arranged a table listing them with vertical rows corresponding to shared chemical characteristics. Gaps in the table suggested the possibility of elements not yet discovered, and indeed elements were later discovered, or in some cases, artificially created, that filled the gaps and had the expected chemical properties. The striking correlation between the atomic weight of an element and its chemical properties was later explained by quantum mechanical theories of the atom. The weight of an atom of any given element depends on the number of protons (and neutrons) in its nucleus, but the number of protons also determines the number and arrangement of electrons that can orbit the nucleus, and it is these outer shells of electrons that largely determine the element's chemical properties.

Cultural definitions for elements

element

In chemistry, any material (such as carbon, hydrogen, iron, or oxygen) that cannot be broken down into more fundamental substances. Each chemical element has a specific type of atom, and chemical compounds are created when atoms of different elements are bound together into molecules. There are 119 chemical elements whose discovery has been claimed; 92 occur in nature, and the rest have been produced in laboratories.

Idioms and Phrases with elements

element

see brave the elements; in one's element.

element

noun

Words related to element

Words nearby element

Origin of element

SYNONYMS FOR element

OTHER WORDS FROM element

Example sentences from the Web for elements

British Dictionary definitions for elements

noun

Word Origin for element

Medical definitions for elements

n.

Scientific definitions for elements

Word History

Cultural definitions for elements

Idioms and Phrases with elements