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View synonyms for gist

gist

[ jist ]

noun

  1. the main or essential part of a matter:

    What was the gist of his speech?

    Synonyms: import, kernel, burden, substance, point, essence

  2. the ground of a legal action.


gist

/ dʒɪst /

noun

  1. the point or substance of an argument, speech, etc
  2. law the essential point of an action
“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of gist1

First recorded in 1720–30; from Anglo-French (cest action) gist “(this matter) lies,” 3rd-person singular present of Anglo-French, Old French gesir “to lie” (compare modern French ci-gît “here lies”), ultimately from Latin jacēre; adjacent ( def ), hic jacet ( def )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of gist1

C18: from Anglo-French, as in cest action gist en this action consists in, literally: lies in, from Old French gésir to lie, from Latin jacēre, from jacere to throw
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Example Sentences

“The general gist of saying everything is worse, is dangerous — it’s not true. But aesthetically, things have gotten worse,” he said.

The rest of us can watch — we may even understand the gist of their conversations — but their world is theirs alone.

That was the gist of headlines two years ago, when Swift’s Eras Tour resulted in a ticket-sales fiasco of epic proportions.

“No reasonable jury could have accepted the gist of plaintiff’s testimony, awarded $38 million in damages, and found less than 116 incidents.”

The researchers showed that as flies encounter an odor signal, the specific pattern of interference between the receptors helps flies quickly compute the "gist" of the odor's meaning: "Is it good or bad for me?"

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