Element: (noun) Middle English via Old French from Latin elementum ‘principle, rudiment’

1): any substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes

2): ALCHEMY: one of the four states of matter

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According to Alchemy, everything in existence is found in four archetypal elements. These are Fire, Earth, Water and Air. Today we know them as Solid, Liquid, Gas and Plasma.

        Later the word element no longer meant a state of matter, but a basic particle of matter.

     Tria Prima, the three Elements of early chemistry:  Sulfur – The fluid connecting the High and the Low. Sulfur was used to denote the expansive force, evaporation, and dissolution. Mercury — The omnipresent spirit of life. Mercury was believed to transcend the liquid and solid states. .Salt — Base matter.

    According to modern chemistry: A chemical element is a substance that cannot be broken down by chemical means. Although elements aren't changed by chemical reactions, new elements may be formed by nuclear reactions. Elements are defined by the number of protons they possess. Atoms of an element all have the same number of protons, but they can have different numbers of electrons and neutrons. Changing the ratio of electrons to protons creates ions, while changing the number of neutrons form isotopes. There are 118 known elements. Research is underway to make element 120. When element 120 is made and verified, the periodic table will need to be changed to accommodate it.