Gist

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: en, /d͡ʒɪst/
• Rhymes: -en, -ɪst

The is derived from , a noun use of the of gesir (modern ; compare ),

OED Online|pos=n.|noformat=1|id=4780267569|date=September 2023

from ,

Lexico|pos=n

the of iaceō, ultimately from (probably in the sense of something being thrown down).

The is derived from the noun.

OED Online|pos=v.|noformat=1|id=1155757194|date=July 2023|nodot=1; Lexico|pos=v

Full definition of gist

Noun

1. (countable) The main idea or substance, or the most essential part, of a longer or more complicated matter; the crux, the heart, the pith.
• 1948, w:Carl Sandburg, w:Remembrance Rock Chapter Store We Up therefore Patience, Should they live and build their church in the American wilderness, their worst dangers would rise in and among themselves rather than outside. That was the gist of the lesson from their pastor and "wellwiller" John Robinson.
• Wodehouse Jeeves in the Offing|chapter=XIX|passage=He was handing her something in an envelope, and she was saying “Oh, Jeeves, you've saved a human life,” and he was saying “Not at all, miss.” The gist, of course, escaped me, but I had no leisure to probe into gists.
• 1988, w:Baruch Halpern, The First Historians: The Hebrew Bible and History Chapter Sisera and Old Lace: The Case of Deborah and w, The gists of the reports, however, their logic, their structural coherence, are molded by a concern to reconstruct the past, by antiquarian interest.
• 1994 July 15 (first performance), w:Nicky Silver, Etiquette and Vitriol, The Food Chain and Other Plays Chapter The Food Chain, And the work was going very well. I was really just vomiting images like spoiled sushi (that may be an ill-considered metaphor, but you get my gist).
• 2003, w, w:Crime and Punishment Chapter V, I don't remember his exact words, but the gist of it was that he wanted it all for nothing, as quickly as possible, without any effort.
• 2004, Paul Dehn Carleton, Concepts: A ProtoTheist Quest for Science-minded Skeptics of Catholic, and Other Christian, Jewish & Muslim Backgrounds Chapter Un- to CONSCIOUSness, There's evidence that even our unconscious efficiently only stores the gists of memories and that to fill in details our conscious fabricates them.
2. (countable, law, dated) The essential ground for action in a lawsuit, without which there is no cause of action; the gravamen.
• Blackstone Commentaries|book=IV|chapter=Of Plea, and Issue|page=333|passage=TheÅ¿e charges, of a traiterous or felonious intent, are the points and very giÅ¿t of the indictment, and muÅ¿t be anÅ¿vvered directly, by the general negative, not guilty; ...
• Burke Whigs|page=30|passage=He is guilty of a dereliction of opinions that are true and laudable. This is the great giÅ¿t of the charge againÅ¿t him.
• 1839, w:John Bouvier, w, But it is observable that the substance or gist of the action is not always the principal cause of the plaintiff's complaint in point of fact, nor that on which he recovers all or the greatest part of his damages. It frequently happens that upon that part of his declaration which contains the substance or gist of the action he recovers nominal damages, and he gets his principal satisfaction on account of matters altogether collateral thereto.
• De Quincey Works|volume=XII|chapter=III|chaptername=‘In the Second Place’—Dinner is on the Table|page=41|passage=Naturally, therefore, conceiving that the gite of the lawyer's reasoning was to defend the want of resemblance as an admitted fact, which it would be useless to deny, the worthy magistrate closed the pleadings, and gave sentence against Mr Whelp, the plaintiff.|brackets=on
3. (uncountable, Nigeria) Gossip, rumour; (countable) an instance of this.

Verb

1. (transitive) To extract and present the main ideas or substance, or the most essential parts of (a document, piece of writing, etc.); to abridge, to summarize.
• 7 August 1872, J. H. Hoose, Professional Instruction in Normal Schools, There are two general ways of getting information, and these two general ways may be summed up in this: take one branch of study and its principles are all gisted, they have been gisted by the accumulated thought of years gone by. These gisted thoughts are axioms, or received principles, and the pupils of the day take these axioms or principles, and accept them as facts, and apply them to this, that or the other individual case.
2. (intransitive, Nigeria) To talk idly; chat; also, to gossip.

From , geste,

MED Online|entry=ǧī̆ste|pos=n.(2)|noformat=1|id=MED18650

from (modern ), a use of the form of gesir: see etymology 1.

OED Online|entry=† gist|pos=n.|noformat=1|id=1504045979|date=September 2023

Noun

1. (obsolete) A stop for lodging or rest in a journey, or the place where this happens; a rest.
• Pliny Holland Historie of the World|tome=1|book=X|chapter=Of Cranes, Storkes, Swans, Quailes, the Glotis, and Strange Birds of Other Countries|page=282|passage=TheÅ¿e Quailes have their Å¿et giÅ¿ts, to vvit, ordinarie reÅ¿ting and baiting places.
• Livy Holland Romane Historie|book=XLIV|page=958|passage=But the ConÅ¿ul after that he had intelligence that PerÅ¿eus had croÅ¿Å¿ed over to Samothracia, departed from Pella, and at the fourth giÅ¿t and journey that he made, came to Amphipolis.

Alternative forms

• gest, {{3}}

Derived terms

• gists

Further reading

• Webster 1828
• Bouvier Law Dictionary|page=445|column=1
• Webster 1913

Anagrams