noun
the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural)
-
he mastered only the rudiments of geometry
• Usage Domain: ↑plural, ↑plural form
• Hypernyms: ↑fundamentals, ↑basics, ↑fundamental principle, ↑basic principle, ↑bedrock
* * *
any axiom, law, or abstraction assumed and regarded as representing the highest possible degree of generalization.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.