element

Topic: EARTH SCIENCES

Date:	1300-1400
Language:	Old French
Origin:	Latin elementum

element
noun

el‧e‧ment S2 W1 See pronunciation table in "How to use dictionary" pages

[countable]

part

one part or feature of a whole system, plan, piece of work etc, especially one that is basic or important

element of

Look up a word starting with D or S for samples of headword or sentence pronunciations on the LDOCE CD-ROM

Honesty is a vital element of her success.

element in

the primary element in the country's economy

important/key/essential/vital etc element

Besides ability, the other essential element in political success is luck.

Business and management elements are built into the course.

element of surprise/truth/risk/doubt etc

an amount, usually small, of a quality or feeling:

There is an element of truth in your argument.

chemistry

a simple chemical substance such as carbon or oxygen that consists of atoms of only one kind ➔ compound1 (1)

people

a group of people who form part of a larger group, especially when the rest of the group does not approve of them [↪ faction]:

the hard-line communist elements in the party

the elements

[plural]DN the weather, especially bad weather:

sailors battling against the elements

heating

the part of a piece of electrical equipment that produces heat

the elements of something

the most simple things that you have to learn first about a subject:

She doesn't even know the basic elements of politeness.

earth/air/fire/water

HE one of the four substances (earth, air, fire, and water) from which people used to believe that everything was made

be in your element

to be in a situation that you enjoy, because you are good at it:

Graham was in his element, building a fire and cooking the steaks.

be out of your element

to be in a situation that makes you uncomfortable or unhappy:

She was out of her element in this dull little town.

Definition of element from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic EARTH SCIENCES