element

Sense 1 noun

an abstract part of something

jealousy was a component of his character

Sense 2 noun

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

Sense 3 noun

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

Sense 4 noun

the most favorable environment for a plant or animal

water is the element of fishes

Sense 5 noun

one of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe

the alchemists believed that there were four elements

Sense 6 noun

the situation in which you are happiest and most effective

in your element

Sense 7 noun

a straight line that generates a cylinder or cone