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component

kuhm-POH-nuhnt /kəmˈpoʊ.nənt/

nounB2GRETOEFL

formaltechnical

A physical piece or element of a board game, such as a card, token, board, or die.

Refers strictly to the physical, tangible items inside the game box, rather than the abstract rules or themes.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'componere', meaning 'to put together' (from 'com-' meaning together, and 'ponere' meaning to place). It describes the individual physical parts that are put together to make a complete game package.

Word relationships

piece: Piece is more informal and usually refers to a single token, whereas component can refer to boards, cards, and dice collectively.
element: Element can be abstract, while component in gaming almost always refers to a physical object.

concept: A concept is an abstract idea, whereas a component is a physical, tangible object.

Commonly confused with

mechanic: A component is the physical object you hold; a mechanic is the rule telling you what to do with it.

Word family

components (noun): Plural form referring to all the physical pieces in a game.

Collocations

physical component
component quality
upgraded components

Example sentences

"The deluxe edition boasts incredible component quality, featuring heavy clay poker chips and custom wooden tokens." A review of a high-end collector's edition game.

Memory hook

Think of a 'composer' putting together notes to make a song. A game designer puts together 'components' to make a board game. The physical parts put together in the box.

When not to use

Do not use when discussing the rules or the strategic choices of the players.

Fun facts

Some extreme board game collectors spend hundreds of dollars 'pimping' their games, replacing standard cardboard components with real metal coins and realistic resin resources.