gist (n.)

• axiom
• basis
• bearing
• body
• bulk
• burden
• case
• center
• chapter
• climax
• coloring
• concern
• connotation
• consequence
• core
• cornerstone
• crisis
• crux
• denotation
• direction
• distillate
• distillation
• drift
• effect
• elixir
• essence
• essential
• extension
• fabric
• flower
• focus
• force
• fundamental
• generality
• head
• heading
• heart
• hypostasis
• idea
• impact
• implication
• import
• intension
• issue
• kernel
• keystone
• landmark
• majority
• marrow
• mass
• material
• matter
• meaning
• meat
• medium
• milestone
• most
• motif
• motive
• nub
• nucleus
• overtone
• pertinence
• pith
• pivot
• plurality
• point
• postulate
• principle
• problem
• purport
• question
• quid
• quiddity
• quintessence
• recap
• recapitulation
• reference
• referent
• relation
• relevance
• resume
• rubric
• run-through
• rundown
• sap
• scope
• sense
• short
• significance
• signification
• soul
• spirit
• stuff
• subject
• substance
• sum
• summary
• summation
• tenor
• text
• theme
• thrust
• topic
• undertone
• upshot
• value