Gist
dʒɪst
Definitions
The substance or essence of a speech or text; the main point.
dʒɪst
The essential part
Could you give me the gist of the news?
💡 Simply: Imagine someone's telling you a long story. The *gist* is the short version – the most important parts, like what happened and why. It's like the headline of a story.
👶 For kids: The most important part of a story or a talk.
More Examples
He explained the gist of the project proposal.
Despite the complicated language, I grasped the gist of the law.
How It's Used
"I understood the gist of the argument."
"The judge summarized the gist of the case to the jury."
From Old French *gist*, third-person singular present indicative of *gisir* ("to lie"), from Latin *iacēre* ("to lie, be situated"). Originally referred to the main point of a legal argument, then broadened to general meaning.
Historically, 'gist' was primarily used in legal contexts to refer to the main point of an action or argument.
Memory tip
Think of the 'juice' or 'essential part' of a fruit – that's the gist.
Word Origin
"to lie (in the sense of being settled or central)"