definition of
element

[1] #1 element n. [component, constituent, factor, ingredient] 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 s. wn

[2] #2 element n. [component, constituent] 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". wn

[3] #3 element n. [chemical element] 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. wn

[4] #4 element n. the most favorable environment for a plant or animal; "water is the element of fishes". wn

[5] #5 element n. one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe; "the alchemists believed that there were four elements". wn