Meaning : Soft spongelike central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants.
Meaning : The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience.
Example :
The gist of the prosecutor's argument.
The heart and soul of the Republican Party.
The nub of the story.
Synonyms : center, centre, core, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, nitty-gritty, nub, substance, sum