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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

the most favorable environment for a plant or animal; water is the element of fishes'

one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe; the alchemists believed that there were four elements'

the situation in which you are happiest and most effective; in your element'

a straight line that generates a cylinder or cone