stoicheiem

στοιχεῖον, τό:

I in a form of sun-dial, the shadow of the gnomon, the length of which in feet indicated the time of day, ὅταν ᾖ δεκάπουν τὸ σ. when the shadow is ten feet long, Refs 5th c.BC+, see Refs 4th c.BC+
II element,
II.1 a simple sound of speech, as the first component of the syllable, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ ῥῶ τὸ σRefs 4th c.BC+ —στοιχεῖα therefore, strictly, were different from letters (γράμματα), Refs 2nd c.BC+, but are frequently not clearly distinguished from them, as by Refs 5th c.BC+; σ. ε ¯ letter ε (in a filing-system), Refs 2nd c.AD+; ἀκουόμενα σ. letters which are pronounced, Refs 2nd c.AD+; γράμματα and ς. are expressly identified by Refs 2nd c.BC+; the ς. and its name are confused by Refs 2nd c.BC+ — κατὰ στοιχεῖον in the order of the letters, alphabetically, Refs 1st c.AD+
II.2 in Physics, στοιχεῖα were the components into which matter is ultimately divisible, elements, reduced to four by Empedocles, who called them ῥιζὤματα, the word στοιχεῖα being first used (accusative to Refs 5th c.BC+, τὰ πρῶτα οἱονπερεὶ σ, ἐξ ὧν ἡμεῖς τε συγκείμεθα καὶ τἄλλα Refs; τὰ τῶν πάντων σ. Refs 4th c.BC+; ἄτομα σ. Refs 4th c.BC+; equivalent to ἀρχαί, Thales cited in Refs 6th c.BC+ also distinguishes ς. from ἀρχή as less comprehensive, Refs; τὰ σ. ὕλη τῆς οὐσίας Refs; τρία τὰ σ. Refs; distinguished from ἀρχή on other grounds by Refs; ς. used in three senses by Chrysipp., Refs; in Medicine, Refs 2nd c.AD+; ἀνηλεὲς σ., of the sea, Refs 2nd c.AD+; τὸ σ., of the sea, Refs 1st c.AD+; ἄμφω τὰ σ., i.e. land and sea,Refs 2nd c.AD+
II.3 the elements of proof, e.g. in general reasoning the πρῶτοι συλλογισμοί, Refs 4th c.BC+; in Geometry, the propositions whose proof is involved in the proof of other propositions,Refs; title of geometrical works by Hippocrates of Chios, Leon, Theudios, and Euclid, Refs 5th c.AD+: hence applied to whatever is one, small, and capable of many uses, Refs 4th c.BC+; to whatever is most universal, e.g. the unit and the point,Refs; the line and the circle, Refs; τὸ νόμισμα σ. καὶ πέρας τῆς ἀλλαγῆς coin is the unit.. of exchange, Refs; in Grammar, σ. τῆς λέξεως parts of speech, Refs 1st c.BC+; but also, the letters composing a word, Refs 2nd c.AD+; letters of the alphabet, Refs 4th c.BC+; σ. τοῦ λόγου the elements of speech, i.e. words, or the kinds of words, parts of speech, Refs 4th c.BC+
II.4 generally, elementary or fundamental principle, ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν σ. Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ πολλάκις εἰρημένον μέγιστον σ. Refs 4th c.BC+
II.5 ἄστρων στοιχεῖα the stars, NT+4th c.AD+; especially planets, στοιχείῳ Διός Refs 1st c.AD+; so perhaps in NT; especially a sign of the Zodiac, Refs 3rd c.AD+; of the Great Bear, Refs
II.6 σ. ={ἀριθμός}, as etymology of Στοιχαδεύς, Scholia 2nd c.BC: Dionysius Thrax Grammaticus p.192 H.

H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.