Element - Definition

n 1: an abstract part of something; "jealousy was a component of
his character"; "two constituents of a musical composition
are melody and harmony"; "the grammatical elements of a
sentence"; "a key factor in her success"; "humor: an
effective ingredient of a speech" [syn: component,
constituent, element, factor, ingredient]
2: 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"; "a component or constituent element of a system" [syn:
component, constituent, element]
3: 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 [syn:
chemical element, element]
4: the most favorable environment for a plant or animal; "water
is the element of fishes"
5: one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval
cosmology to constitute the physical universe; "the
alchemists believed that there were four elements"
6: the situation in which you are happiest and most effective;
"in your element"
7: a straight line that generates a cylinder or cone