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A fundamental element, principle, or skill, as of a field of learning. Often used in the plural.
(noun)
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Something in an incipient or undeveloped form. Often used in the plural: the rudiments of social behavior in children; the rudiments of a plan of action.
(noun)
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Biology An imperfectly or incompletely developed organ or part.
(noun)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.