elements
The weather, such as wind or rain; environmental conditions considered as a source of danger, wear, etc.
Example
“This artifact was found deep in a cave where it was protected from the elements.”
Other meanings
The basic tenets of an area of knowledge, basics, fundamentals.
The bread and wine of the Eucharist.
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “elements” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.