'Gist' definitions:
Definition of 'gist'
From: WordNet
noun
The central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work [syn: effect, essence, burden, core, gist]
noun
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" [syn: kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty- gritty]
Definition of 'Gist'
From: GCIDE
- Gist \Gist\ (j[i^]st), n. [OF. giste abode, lodgings, F. g[^i]te, fr. g['e]sir to lie, L. jac[=e]re, prop., to be thrown, hence, to lie, fr. jac[e^]re to throw. In the second sense fr. OF. gist, F. g[^i]t, 3d pers. sing. ind. of g['e]sir to lie, used in a proverb, F., c'est l[`a] que g[^i]t le li[`e]vre, it is there that the hare lies, i. e., that is the point, the difficulty. See Jet a shooting forth, and cf. Agist, Joist, n., Gest a stage in traveling.]
- 1. A resting place. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
- These quails have their set gists; to wit, ordinary resting and baiting places. --Holland. [1913 Webster]
- 2. The main point, as of a question; the point on which an action rests; the pith of a matter; as, the gist of a question. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'gist'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- affective meaning,
- axiom,
- basis,
- bearing,
- bench mark,
- best part,
- better part,
- body,
- bulk,
- burden,
- cardinal point,
- case,
- center,
- chapter,
- chief thing,
- climax,
- coloring,
- concern,
- connotation,
- consequence,
- core,
- cornerstone,
- crisis,
- critical point,
- crux,
- denotation,
- direction,
- distillate,
- distillation,
- drift,
- effect,
- elixir,
- essence,
- essential,
- essential matter,
- extension,
- fabric,
- flower,
- focus,
- focus of attention,
- focus of interest,
- force,
- fundamental,
- generality,
- grammatical meaning,
- gravamen,
- great point,
- head,
- heading,
- heart,
- high point,
- hypostasis,
- idea,
- impact,
- implication,
- import,
- important thing,
- inner essence,
- intension,
- issue,
- kernel,
- keystone,
- landmark,
- lexical meaning,
- literal meaning,
- living issue,
- main body,
- main idea,
- main point,
- main thing,
- major part,
- majority,
- marrow,
- mass,
- material,
- material point,
- matter,
- matter in hand,
- meaning,
- meat,
- medium,
- milestone,
- most,
- motif,
- motive,
- nub,
- nucleus,
- nuts and bolts,
- overtone,
- pertinence,
- pith,
- pivot,
- plurality,
- point,
- point at issue,
- point in question,
- postulate,
- practical consequence,
- principle,
- problem,
- purport,
- question,
- quid,
- quiddity,
- quintessence,
- range of meaning,
- real issue,
- real meaning,
- recap,
- recapitulation,
- reference,
- referent,
- relation,
- relevance,
- resume,
- rubric,
- run-through,
- rundown,
- salient point,
- sap,
- scope,
- semantic cluster,
- semantic field,
- sense,
- short,
- significance,
- signification,
- significatum,
- signifie,
- sine qua non,
- soul,
- span of meaning,
- spirit,
- structural meaning,
- stuff,
- subject,
- subject matter,
- subject of thought,
- substance,
- substantive point,
- sum,
- sum and substance,
- summary,
- summation,
- symbolic meaning,
- tenor,
- text,
- the bottom line,
- the nitty-gritty,
- the point,
- theme,
- thrust,
- topic,
- totality of associations,
- transferred meaning,
- turning point,
- unadorned meaning,
- undertone,
- upshot,
- value