be all and end all, be-all and end-all - the essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim; "profit is the be-all and end-all of business"

plot element - a component or element of the plot of a story

point - a geometric element that has position but no extension; "a point is defined by its coordinates"

division, section, part - one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole; "the written part of the exam"; "the finance section of the company"; "the BBC's engineering division"

substance - the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists; "DNA is the substance of our genes"

relation - an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together

item, point - a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list; "he noticed an item in the New York Times"; "she had several items on her shopping list"; "the main point on the agenda was taken up first"

basis, base - the most important or necessary part of something; "the basis of this drink is orange juice"

detail, item, particular - a small part that can be considered separately from the whole; "it was perfect in all details"

unit - an individual or group or structure or other entity regarded as a structural or functional constituent of a whole; "the reduced the number of units and installations"; "the word is a basic linguistic unit"

member - anything that belongs to a set or class; "snakes are members of the class Reptilia"; "members of the opposite sex"

remainder, residual, residuum, rest, residue, balance - something left after other parts have been taken away; "there was no remainder"; "he threw away the rest"; "he took what he wanted and I got the balance"

addition, add-on, improver - a component that is added to something to improve it; "the addition of a bathroom was a major improvement"; "the addition of cinnamon improved the flavor"

audio - the sound elements of television

auto part, car part - a component of an automobile; "his business is auto parts"

crystal - a crystalline element used as a component in various electronic devices

computer hardware, hardware - (computer science) the mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer system

heating element - the component of a heater or range that transforms fuel or electricity into heat

ingredient - a component of a mixture or compound

input - a component of production; something that goes into the production of output

landside - component consisting of a side piece opposite the moldboard

making - (usually plural) the components needed for making or doing something; "the recipe listed all the makings for a chocolate cake"

module - a self-contained component (unit or item) that is used in combination with other components

part, portion - something less than the whole of a human artifact; "the rear part of the house"; "glue the two parts together"

pel, picture element, pixel - (computer science) the smallest discrete component of an image or picture on a CRT screen (usually a colored dot); "the greater the number of pixels per inch the greater the resolution"

retrofit - a component or accessory added to something after it has been manufactured

spare, spare part - an extra component of a machine or other apparatus

spark gap - a component of an ignition system; consists of two shaped electrodes and the space between them