element

element

1. any of the 118 known substances (of which 93 occur naturally) that consist of atoms with the same number of protons in their nuclei

2. the most favourable environment for an animal or plant

3. the resistance wire and its former that constitute the electrical heater in a cooker, heater, etc.

4. Electronics another name for component

5. one of the four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the universe (earth, air, water, or fire)

6. atmospheric conditions or forces, esp wind, rain, and cold

7. Geometry a point, line, plane, or part of a geometric figure

8. Maths

a. any of the terms in a determinant or matrix

b. one of the infinitesimally small quantities summed by an integral, often represented by the expression following the integral sign

9. Maths Logic one of the objects or numbers that together constitute a set

10. Christianity the bread or wine consecrated in the Eucharist

11. Astronomy any of the numerical quantities, such as the major axis or eccentricity, used in describing the orbit of a planet, satellite, etc.

12. Physics a component of a compound lens

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

element

(el -ĕ-mĕnt) Any of a large number of substances, including hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and iron, that consist entirely of atoms of the same atomic number, i.e. with the same number of protons in their nuclei. The atoms are not all identical however: isotopes of an element can occur with different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. When arranged in order of increasing atomic number along a series of horizontal rows, elements with similar chemical and physical properties fall into groups. The similarities in properties arise from similarities in the electron arrangements within the atom. This table of elements is called the periodic table. Over 100 elements are now known, more than 90 of which occur naturally on Earth. The elements have stable isotopes and/or unstable (i.e. radioactive) isotopes.

The creation of the elements and the means by which they become distributed throughout the Universe are major areas of study in astronomy (see nucleosynthesis). The abundance of each element in the Universe, i.e. its cosmic abundance, depends on the method of its synthesis – by nuclear reactions in stars, by cosmic-ray collisions, etc. – and on its lifetime in its immediate surroundings and its long-term stability.

Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006

Element

An integral part of the sub- or superstructure having its own functional requirements; such as foundations, walls, floors, roofs, stairs and structural framework.

Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture Copyright © 2012, 2002, 1998 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

element

[′el·ə·mənt]

(chemistry)

A substance made up of atoms with the same atomic number; common examples are hydrogen, gold, and iron. Also known as chemical element.

(computer science)

A circuit or device performing some specific elementary data-processing function.

(electricity)

A part of an electron tube, semiconductor device, or antenna array that contributes directly to the electrical performance.

(mathematics)

component

(electromagnetism)

Radiator, active or parasitic, that is a part of an antenna.

(industrial engineering)

A brief, relatively homogeneous part of a work cycle that can be described and identified.

(mathematics)

In an array such as a matrix or determinant, a quantity identified by the intersection of a given row or column.

In network topology, an edge.

The generatrix of a ruled surface at any one fixed position.

(civil engineering)

member

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

building element

An architectural component of a building, facility, or site.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

element

(data, programming)

One of the items of data in an array.

element

(language, text)

One kind of node in an SGML, HTML, or XML document tree. An SGML element is typically represented by a start tag ("<p>") and an end tag ("</p>"). In some SGML implementations, some tags are omissible, as with "</p>" in HTML.

The start tag can contain attributes ("<p lang="en-UK" class='stuff'>"), which are an unordered set of key-value bindings for that element. Both the start tag and end tag for an element typically contain the "tag name" (also called the "GI" or generic identifier) for that element.

In XML, an element is always represented either by an explicit start tag and end tag, or by an empty element tag ("<img src='thing.png' alt='a dodad' />").

Other kinds of SGML node are: a section of character data ("foo"), a comment ("<!-- bar -->"), a markup declaration ("<!ENTITY reg CDATA '®'>"), or a processing instruction ("<?xml-stylesheet href="dict.aspx?h=1&word=shop-english.xsl" type="text/xsl" ?>").

This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Element

 

(1) Among ancient Greek materialist philosophers, the basic constituents of nature; Empedocles believed the four basic elements to be fire, air, water, and earth. In ancient Chinese philosophy, the basic elements were thought to be metal, earth, water, wood, and fire.

(2) In the plural, a phenomenon or force of nature, such as a storm, that is regarded as irrepressible.

(3) In a figurative sense, one’s habitual environment or surroundings; a favorite, familiar occupation or pursuit.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.