Main Entry: ru·di·ment

Pronunciation: \ˈrü-də-mənt\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin rudimentum beginning, from rudis raw, rude

Date: 1548

1 : a basic principle or element or a fundamental skill —usually used in plural <teaching themselves the rudiments of rational government — G. B. Galanti>
2 a : something unformed or undeveloped : beginning —usually used in plural <the rudiments of a plan> b (1) : a body part so deficient in size or structure as to be entirely unable to perform its normal function (2) : an organ just beginning to develop : anlage

— ru·di·men·tal \ˌrü-də-ˈmen-t^əl\ adjective