rudiment Definition

rudiment
noun

1. The fundamental facts, rules or skills of a subject.

Example: the rudiments of cooking
Thesaurus: essentials, principles, foundation, core.
Form: rudiments (usually)
2. The early and incomplete stages of something.

Form: rudiments (usually)
3. biol.
An organ or part which does not develop fully, usually because it has no function, such as the mammary glands in male mammals.

Derivative: rudimental
adj

See rudimentary.

Etymology: 16c: from Latin rudimentum, from rudis unformed.