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.
2.
Chemistry. one of a class of substances that cannot be separated into simpler substances by chemical means. See also chart under periodic table.
3.
a natural habitat, sphere of activity, environment, etc.: to be in one's element; Water is the element of fish.
4.
elements,
a.
atmospheric agencies or forces; weather: a ruddy complexion from exposure to the elements.
b.
the rudimentary principles of an art, science, etc.: the elements of grammar.
c.
the bread and wine of the Eucharistic service.
5.
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.
6.
one of the substances, usually earth, water, air, and fire, formerly regarded as constituting the material universe.
7.
Mathematics.
a.
an infinitesimal part of a given quantity, similar in nature to it.
b.
an entity that satisfies all the conditions of belonging to a given set.
8.
Geometry. one of the points, lines, planes, or other geometrical forms, of which a figure is composed.
9.
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.
10.
Electricity. an electric device with terminals for connection to other electrical devices.
11.
Radio. one of the electrodes in a vacuum tube.
12.
Astrology. any of the four triplicity groupings of signs: fire, earth, air, or water.
13.
Optics. any of the lenses or other components constituting an optical system.
14.
Grammar. any word, part of a word, or group of words that recurs in various contexts in a language with relatively constant meaning.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME (< AF) < L elementum one of the four elements, letter of the alphabet, first principle, rudiment]
—Synonyms 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.
A fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity.
elements The basic assumptions or principles of a subject.
Mathematics
A member of a set.
A point, line, or plane.
A part of a geometric configuration, such as an angle in a triangle.
The generatrix of a geometric figure.
Any of the terms in the rectangular array of terms that constitute a matrix or determinant.
A ground unit in an air force comparable to a platoon.
A unit of an air force equal to two or three aircraft.
Chemistry & Physics A substance composed of atoms having an identical number of protons in each nucleus. Elements cannot be reduced to simpler substances by normal chemical means.
One of four substances, earth, air, fire, or water, formerly regarded as a fundamental constituent of the universe.
Electricity The resistance wire in an electrical appliance such as a heater or an oven.
elements The forces that constitute the weather, especially severe or inclement weather: outside paint that had been damaged by the elements.
An environment naturally suited to or associated with an individual: He is in his element when traveling. The business world is her element.
A distinct group within a larger community: the dissident element on campus.
A part of a military force, especially:
A ground unit in an air force comparable to a platoon.
A unit of an air force equal to two or three aircraft.
elements The bread and wine of the Eucharist.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin elementum, perhaps ultimately from lmn, first three letters of the second half of the Canaanite alphabet, recited by ancient scribes when learning it.]
Synonyms: These nouns denote one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up: the grammatical elements of a sentence; jealousy, a component of his character; melody and harmony, two of the constituents of a musical composition; ambition as a key factor in her success; humor, an effective ingredient of a speech.
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 115 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.
Our Living Language: When Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev devised the Periodic Table in 1869, there were 63 known elements. Mendeleev classified the known elements 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. Currently, 115 distinct elements are known.
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