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).
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The word element actually has 15 definitions, it has meanings beyond science.
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Origin of element
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin elementum “one of the four elements, letter of the alphabet, first principle, rudiment”
synonym study for element
1, 2. 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.
OTHER WORDS FROM element
in·ter·el·e·ment,adjective,nounsub·el·e·ment,noun
Words nearby element
Eleia, eleidin, elektra, Elektrostal, elem., element, element 113, element 114, element 115, element 116, element 117
Also spending on other, and different, elements of the campaign.
Trump and his campaign try to allay concerns about trailing Biden in television ads|Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
Only the Soviet Union has successfully landed on the Venusian surface—its Venera 13 lander functioned for 127 minutes before succumbing to the elements in 1982.
We need to go to Venus as soon as possible|Neel Patel|September 16, 2020|MIT Technology Review
It’s ubiquitous in the nation, so it’s easy to see how it could become a hugely disruptive element in the search landscape.
Are search engines dead in China?|Ada Luo|September 14, 2020|Search Engine Watch
To do this, the team analyzed isotopes — different forms of an element — of carbon and nitrogen in the diamonds, as well as isotopes of oxygen in the inclusions.
Earth’s rarest diamonds form from primordial carbon in the mantle|Carolyn Gramling|September 14, 2020|Science News
Here’s a comprehensive guide that looks into all the elements that you can capture to win your spot in Google’s top SERP real estate.
How to get your YouTube videos appear in Google’s video carousel|Ann Smarty|September 11, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Very bass-y house, if I was in my element and playing what I like to play.
Idris Elba on Eric Garner, ‘Mi Mandela,’ and Selling Weed to Dave Chappelle|Marlow Stern|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Anne Marie was in her element, jabbering away in heavily accented Liberian English, the center of attention.
The Life of a Liberian Child with Ebola|Sarah Crowe|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Regrow limbs, cure cancer, or rock a killer outfit à la Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element.
I Want My Damn Hoverboard! 12 Movie Inventions That Should Exist|Rich Goldstein|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
George was in his element at those times, and the depth of his knowledge amazed me.
When Gary Wright Met George Harrison: Dream Weaver, John and Yoko, and More|Gary Wright|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There really is an element of falling in love with each other.
How Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig Pulled Off Their Most Dramatic Roles Yet|Kevin Fallon|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As for Pierre, he was now in his element, sniffing the battle like a young warhorse, and forgetful of the odds against him.
The Raid From Beausejour; And How The Carter Boys Lifted The Mortgage|Charles G. D. Roberts
Each letter represents a fixed quantity of the element for which it stands, viz., the atomic weight.
Logic|Carveth Read
Although there is an element of truth in this, yet it is useless as a support for the theory of Japanese "impersonality."
Evolution Of The Japanese, Social And Psychic|Sidney L. Gulick
The Chinese element was brought over by contract for working on sugar plantations.
Industrial Cuba|Robert P. Porter
The number ε is a definite quantity of the element, and is called its electrochemical equivalent.
Lord Kelvin|Andrew Gray
British Dictionary definitions for element
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
geometrya 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 ʃbaf( x) d x, f( x )d x is an element of area
mathslogicone of the objects or numbers that together constitute a set
Christianitythe bread or wine consecrated in the Eucharist
astronomyany 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
physicsa component of a compound lens
Word Origin for element
C13: from Latin elementum a first principle, alphabet, element, of uncertain origin
How Are Newly Discovered Chemical Elements Named?Unlike common elements, newer elements are synthesized in a lab; they are not observed in nature. They are very unstable and quickly dissolve into other elements. So how do scientists name them?
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.
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.
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.
MathematicsA 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.