Definitions for: Substance


[n]
[n] the idea that is intended; "What is the meaning of this proverb?"
[n] the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"
[n] what a communication that is about something is about
[n] considerable capital (wealth or income); "he is a man of means"
[n] the stuff of which an object consists



Webster (1913) Definition: Note: Stick-lac is the substance in its natural state,
incrusting small twigs. When broken off, and the
coloring matter partly removed, the granular residuum
is called seed-lac. When melted, and reduced to a thin
crust, it is called shell-lac or shellac. Lac is an
important ingredient in sealing wax, dyes, varnishes,
and lacquers.

Ceylon lac, a resinous exudation of the tree {Croton
lacciferum}, resembling lac.

Lac dye, a scarlet dye obtained from stick-lac.

Lac lake, the coloring matter of lac dye when precipitated
from its solutions by alum.

Mexican lac, an exudation of the tree Croton Draco.


Sub"stance, n. [F., fr. L. substantia, fr. substare
to be under or present, to stand firm; sub under + stare to
stand. See Stand.]
1. That which underlies all outward manifestations;
substratum; the permanent subject or cause of phenomena,
whether material or spiritual; that in which properties
inhere; that which is real, in distinction from that which
is apparent; the abiding part of any existence, in
distinction from any accident; that which constitutes
anything what it is; real or existing essence.

These cooks, how they stamp, and strain, and grind,
And turn substance into accident! --Chaucer.

Heroic virtue did his actions guide, And he the
substance, not the appearance, chose. --Dryden.

2. The most important element in any existence; the
characteristic and essential components of anything; the
main part; essential import; purport.

This edition is the same in substance with the
Latin. --Bp. Burnet.

It is insolent in words, in manner; but in substance
it is not only insulting, but alarming. --Burke.

3. Body; matter; material of which a thing is made; hence,
substantiality; solidity; firmness; as, the substance of
which a garment is made; some textile fabrics have little
substance.

4. Material possessions; estate; property; resources.

And there wasted his substance with riotous living.
--Luke xv. 13.

Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, Can not
amount unto a hundred marks. --Shak.

We are destroying many thousand lives, and
exhausting our substance, but not for our own
interest. --Swift.

5. (Theol.) Same as Hypostasis, 2.


Sub"stance, v. t.
To furnish or endow with substance; to supply property to; to
make rich. [Obs.]

Synonyms: center, content, core, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, matter, meaning, means, meat, message, nitty-gritty, nub, pith, subject matter, sum

See Also: acknowledgement, acknowledgment, activator, adulterant, adulterator, allergen, antigen, antimatter, approval, aside, atom, ballast, bedding, bedding material, body, body substance, capital, carcinogen, chemical compound, chemical element, chemical irritant, cognitive content, combustible, combustible material, commendation, commitment, communication, component, component part, compound, connotation, content, corker, counsel, counseling, counselling, culture medium, dark matter, dedication, denaturant, denotation, deposit, digression, direction, disapproval, discourtesy, disrespect, divagation, drift, drivel, element, entity, entry, excursus, extension, ferment, fluid, foamentation, food, fuel, goo, gook, grinding, guck, guidance, gunk, haecceity, hokum, humectant, humor, humour, hydrocolloid, hypostasis, idea, implication, import, import, info, information, inhibitor, inoculant, inoculum, insertion, instruction, interpolation, jelly, latent content, leaven, leavening, litter, living substance, lysin, material, meaning, meaninglessness, medium, memorial, mental object, micronutrient, mixture, muck, mush, narration, narrative, nonsense, nonsensicality, nutrient, offer, offering, ooze, opinion, packaging, parenthesis, part, petition, philosopher's stone, phlogiston, physical thing, poison, poisonous substance, portion, postulation, promotion, promotional material, propellant, propellent, proposal, protoplasm, publicity, pyrectic, pyrogen, quiddity, quintessence, reference, refrigerant, refusal, reminder, request, residue, respects, sediment, sensationalism, shocker, significance, significance, signification, slime, sludge, solid, solute, solvate, statement, story, strain, stuff, stuff, subject, submission, substrate, system, tale, tenor, theme, thought, topic, treacle, undercurrent, undertone, view, wherewithal, wit, witticism, wittiness, ylem

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