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Element ˈelɪmənt Job Chemical Key Customer Important Part

Word element
WordType (noun)
Phonetic BrE / ˈelɪmənt / NAmE / ˈelɪmənt /
Example
  • cost was a key element in our decision.
  • the story has all the elements of a soap opera.
  • customer relations is an important element of the job.
  • we need to preserve the element of surprise.
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Content

element

(noun)BrE / ˈelɪmənt / NAmE / ˈelɪmənt /
  1. a necessary or typical part of something
    • Cost was a key element in our decision.
    • The story has all the elements of a soap opera.
    • Customer relations is an important element of the job.
  2. a small amount of a quality or feeling
    • We need to preserve the element of surprise.
    • There appears to be an element of truth in his story.
  3. a group of people who form a part of a larger group or society
    • moderate/radical elements within the party
    • unruly elements in the school
  4. a simple chemical substance that consists of atoms of only one type and cannot be split by chemical means into a simpler substance. Gold, oxygen and carbon are all elements.
    • compare compound
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/compound_1
  5. one of the four substances: earth, air, fire and water, which people used to believe everything else was made of
  6. the weather, especially bad weather
    • Are we going to brave the elements and go for a walk?
    • to be exposed to the elements
  7. the basic principles of a subject that you have to learn first
    • synonym basics
      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/basics
    • He taught me the elements of map-reading.
  8. a natural or suitable environment, especially for an animal
    • Water is a fish's natural element.
  9. the part of a piece of electrical equipment that gives out heat
    • The kettle needs a new element.
  10. doing what you are good at and enjoy
    • She's really in her element at parties.
  11. in a situation that you are not used to and that makes you feel uncomfortable
    • I feel out of my element talking about politics.

    Extra Examples

    • He told us stories of how he had battled the elements on his mountaineering trips.
    • I put on my thick coat ready to brave the elements.
    • Police say there may have been a racial element to the attacks.
    • Practical work will form a major element of the syllabus.
    • The place was completely exposed to the elements.
    • The promise of tax cuts became the dominant element in the campaign.
    • There is a considerable element of danger in her job.
    • There is too much of a competitive element in the sales department.
    • There may have been an element of jealousy in her response.
    • These ideas are not just the province of a fringe element in the party.
    • These rumours do contain an element of truth.
    • This constitutes one of the key elements in their reform package.
    • an offbeat theatrical production that combines elements of fantasy and satire
    • the constituent elements of the universe
    • the disparate elements brought together in these paintings
    • the narrative and decorative elements in Pop art
    • All chemical substances, whether elements, compounds or mixtures, are made up of three types of particles.
    • All outdoor activities carry an element of risk.
    • Chemical reactions involve the atomic elements, such as when carbon in coal and oxygen in the air are combined in fire to produce carbon dioxide and warmth.
    • Customer service is an important element of the job.
    • There is often an element of luck involved in doing exams.

    Word Origin

    • Middle English (denoting fundamental constituents of the world or celestial objects): via Old French from Latin elementum ‘principle, rudiment’, translating Greek stoikheion ‘step, component part’.
Copyright This card's content is collected from the following dictionaries: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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