gist
UK[dʒɪst]US[dʒɪst]
n
The main or essential part of a matter, idea, or conversation.
Etymology
The word 'gist' entered English in the early 18th century from the Anglo-French legal phrase 'cest action gist' (this action lies), where 'gist' is the third person singular present of the verb 'gesir' (to lie). This Old French verb descended from the Latin 'iacēre', meaning to lie down or rest. The semantic evolution is clear: from the legal concept of where a case "lies" or is founded, the meaning generalized to refer to the foundation or essential point of any matter. Thus, the modern abstract sense of the "main point" logically grew from the concrete idea of the ground on which something rests.
Analysis
The word is a simplex borrowing from Anglo-French. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
I missed the meeting, but could you give me the gist of what was discussed?
The article was long, but the gist of the argument was quite simple.
He explained the complicated rules so well that I got the gist immediately.