Added 9 October 2026
element
/ˈɛlɪmənt/ noun
In Latin: elementum Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about element at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
An abstract part of something.
jealousy was a component of his character
-
An artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system.
spare components for cars
- Any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter.
Origin
From Middle English element, from Old French element, from Latin elementum (“a first principle, element, rudiment”) (see further etymology there). The verb is from Middle English elementen, from the noun.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)