# hyle

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Synonym of matter, physical substance.
2. Synonym of protomatter, the first matter of the cosmos from which the four elements arose according to Empedocles and Aristotle.

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin hyle, from Ancient Greek ὕλη (húlē, “wood, matter”), particularly in Aristotle as πρώτη ὕλη (prṓtē húlē, “protomatter, fundamental undifferentiated matter”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hyle