Translation of "element" into Middle English (1100-1500)

1. A part or aspect of something abstract; essential, characteristic. The rudiments of a branch or knowledge. A group of people of a particular kind within a larger group or organization. An entity that is a single member of a set. 2. Each of more than one hundred substances that cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of matter. Any of the four substances (earth, water, air, and fire) regarded as the fundamental constituents of the world in ancient and medieval philosophy. The weather, especially strong winds, heavy rain, and other kinds of bad weather. In church use, the bread and wine of the Eucharist. 3. A part in an electric teapot, heater, or stove that contains a wire through which an electric current is passed to provide heat.