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pith
In botanical terms, the word evokes a sense of softness and structural emptiness, acting as the internal filler of a plant. It suggests a hidden interior that is distinct from the hard exterior shell or bark. When used figuratively, the word shifts from softness to density. It describes the most concentrated, potent part of an idea. It is more precise than "gist" or "summary," implying a concentrated core from which everything else radiates.
Countable when referring to a specific piece of plant tissue in a laboratory sample. Uncountable when referring to the abstract essence of an idea or the general biological material.