rudiment


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

ru·di·ment

 (ro͞o′də-mənt)
n.
1. often rudiments
a. A fundamental element, principle, or skill, as of a field of learning: the rudiments of calculus.
b. Something in an incipient or undeveloped form: the rudiments of social behavior in children; the rudiments of a plan of action.
2. Biology An imperfectly or incompletely developed organ or part.

[Latin rudīmentum, from rudis, rough, unformed.]

ru′di·men′tal (-mĕn′tl) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

rudiment

(ˈruːdɪmənt)
n
1. (often plural) the first principles or elementary stages of a subject
2. (often plural) a partially developed version of something
3. (Biology) biology an organ or part in its earliest recognizable form, esp one in an embryonic or vestigial state
[C16: from Latin rudīmentum a beginning, from rudis unformed; see rude]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ru•di•ment

(ˈru də mənt)

n.
1. Usu., rudiments.
a. the elements or first principles of a subject: the rudiments of grammar.
b. a mere beginning, first slight appearance, or undeveloped or imperfect form of something: the rudiments of a plan.
2. an incompletely developed organ or part.
[1540–50; < Latin rudīmentum early training, initial stage]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.rudiment - the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural)rudiment - the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural); "he mastered only the rudiments of geometry"
basic principle, fundamental principle, fundamentals, basics, bedrock - principles from which other truths can be derived; "first you must learn the fundamentals"; "let's get down to basics"
plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one
2.rudiment - the remains of a body part that was functional at an earlier stage of life; "Meckel's diverticulum is the rudiment of the embryonic yolk sac"
body part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

rudiment

noun
1. A fundamental principle or underlying concept.Often used in plural:
2. A fundamental irreducible constituent of a whole.Often used in plural:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

rudiment

[ˈruːdɪmənt] N (Bio) → rudimento m rudimentsrudimentos mpl, primeras nociones fpl
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ru·di·ment

n. rudimento.
1. órgano parcialmente desarrollado;
2. órgano o parte que ha perdido total o parcialmente su función anterior.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
Indeed, we may sometimes observe a mere tendency to produce a rudiment inherited: for instance, in the common snapdragon(Antirrhinum) a rudiment of a fifth stamen so often appears, that this plant must have an inherited tendency to produce it.
I see in a second that what I had mistook for profanity in the mines was only just the rudiments, as you may say.
Their bodies were smaller and lighter in color, and their fingers and toes bore the rudiments of nails, which were entirely lacking among the males.
Had I been in a situation to instruct them in any of the rudiments of the mechanic arts, or had I manifested a disposition to render myself in any way useful among them, their conduct might have been attributed to some adequate motive, but as it was, the matter seemed to me inexplicable.
"'Four membranous wings covered with little colored scales of metallic appearance; mouth forming a rolled proboscis, produced by an elongation of the jaws, upon the sides of which are found the rudiments of mandibles and downy palpi; the inferior wings retained to the superior by a stiff hair; antennae in the form of an elongated club, prismatic; abdomen pointed, The Death's -- headed Sphinx has occasioned much terror among the vulgar, at times, by the melancholy kind of cry which it utters, and the insignia of death which it wears upon its corslet.'"
He said, the present occasion would put to the test those excellent rudiments which he had learnt from Mr Thwackum and Mr Square; and it would be entirely owing to them, if he was enabled to survive such misfortunes.
He don't amount to shucks, as a magician; knows some of the old common tricks, but has never got beyond the rudiments, and never will.
He advised my attending certain places in London, for the acquisition of such mere rudiments as I wanted, and my investing him with the functions of explainer and director of all my studies.
You're less of a fool than many, take you all round; but you don't appear to me to have the rudiments of a notion of the rules of health.
It traced its origin to an abbey school, founded before the Conquest, where the rudiments of learning were taught by Augustine monks; and, like many another establishment of this sort, on the destruction of the monasteries it had been reorganised by the officers of King Henry VIII and thus acquired its name.
Yet he possessed his soul with patience, and during this time of his torment, when Hadly, who had been brought for the purpose from Illinois, made him over into another man* he revolved great plans in his head for the organization of the learned proletariat, and for the maintenance of at least the rudiments of education amongst the people of the abyss--all this of course in the event of the First Revolt being a failure.
Upon these, and the like reasonings, their opinion is, that parents are the last of all others to be trusted with the education of their own children; and therefore they have in every town public nurseries, where all parents, except cottagers and labourers, are obliged to send their infants of both sexes to be reared and educated, when they come to the age of twenty moons, at which time they are supposed to have some rudiments of docility.