archaicism, archaism - the use of an archaic expression

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

essence, heart and soul, inwardness, nitty-gritty, pith, gist, kernel, substance, nub, meat, sum, core, center, heart, marrow - the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"

example, instance, illustration, representative - an item of information that is representative of a type; "this patient provides a typical example of the syndrome"; "there is an example on page 10"