element
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}, {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}]
3: any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 93 occur
naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler
substances and that singly or in combination constitute
all matter [syn: {chemical 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