1. (n.) A fundamental, essential, or irreducible part or principle\.

2. (n.) One of the ultimate, indecomposable constituents of any kind of matter. Specifically: (Chem.) A substance which cannot be decomposed into different kinds of matter by any means at present employed; as, the elements of water are oxygen and hydrogen.

3. (n.) One of the ultimate parts which are variously combined in anything; as, letters are the elements of written language; hence, also, a simple portion of that which is complex, as a shaft, lever, wheel, or any simple part in a machine; one of the essential ingredients of any mixture; a constituent part; as, quartz, feldspar, and mica are the elements of granite.

4. (n.) One out of several parts combined in a system of aggregation, when each is of the nature of the whole; as, a single cell is an element of the honeycomb.

5. (n.) One of the smallest natural divisions of the organism, as a blood corpuscle, a muscular fiber.

6. (n.) One of the simplest essential parts, more commonly called cells, of which animal and vegetable organisms, or their tissues and organs, are composed.

7. (n.) An infinitesimal part of anything of the same nature as the entire magnitude considered; as, in a solid an element may be the infinitesimal portion between any two planes that are separated an indefinitely small distance. In the calculus, element is sometimes used as synonymous with differential.

8. (n.) Sometimes a curve, or surface, or volume is considered as described by a moving point, or curve, or surface, the latter being at any instant called an element of the former.

9. (n.) One of the terms in an algebraic expression.

10. (n.) One of the necessary data or values upon which a system of calculations depends, or general conclusions are based; as, the elements of a planet's orbit.

11. (n.) The simplest or fundamental principles of any system in philosophy, science, or art; rudiments; as, the elements of geometry, or of music.

12. (n.) Any outline or sketch, regarded as containing the fundamental ideas or features of the thing in question; as, the elements of a plan.

13. (n.) One of the simple substances, as supposed by the ancient philosophers; one of the imaginary principles of matter.

14. (n.) The four elements were, air, earth, water, and fire

15. (n.) the conditions and movements of the air.

16. (n.) The elements of the alchemists were salt, sulfur, and mercury.

17. (n.) The whole material composing the world.

18. (n.) The bread and wine used in the Eucharist or Lord's supper.

19. (v. t.) To compound of elements or first principles.

20. (v. t.) To constitute; to make up with elements.

acid acidity addend adjunct agent air alkali alkalinity alloisomer americium anion antacid antecedents antilogarithm appurtenance argument article aspect astatine atmosphere atom atomic particles autecology base basic basics basis berkelium binomial biochemical bioecology bionomics brute matter building block burner caliduct call case cation causation cause cause and effect characteristic chemical chemical element chromoisomer circumstance coefficient combination complement component compound congruence constant constituent contents cooker cookery copolymer cosine cotangent count cube curium datum decimal denominator derivative detail determinant determinative difference differential dimer discriminate dividend divisor domain e earth ecoclimate ecodeme ecology ecosystem einsteinium elementary particle elementary unit elements environment equation essential essentials etiology exponent exponential facet fact factor feature fermium fire fixings formula francium function fundamental fundamental particle fundamentals furnace gas jet ground grounds habitat hahnium heater heating duct heavy chemicals high polymer homopolymer hydracid hyle hypostasis i incidental increment index ingredient inorganic chemical instance integral integrant ion isomer item jet locale macromolecule makings material material world materiality matrix matter medium mendelevium metamer minor detail minuend minutia minutiae molecule monad monomer multiple multiplier natural world nature neptunium neutralizer nonacid norm numerator occasion organic chemical oxyacid parameter part part and parcel particular permutation physical world pi piece pilot light plenum plutonium point polonium polymer polynomial power principle principles promethium protactinium pseudoisomer quaternion quotient radical radium radix radon reagent reciprocal regard remainder respect root rudiments secant segment sine situation specialty sphere steam pipe stimulus stove stuff submultiple substance substratum subtrahend sulfacid synecology tangent technetium tensor territory tewel the four elements thing trimer tuyere unit unit of being uranium variable vector versine warmer water