Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Gist
Gist
(jĭst)
, Noun.
 [OF. , 
giste 
abode, lodgings, F. gîte
, fr. gésir 
to lie, L. jacēre
, prop., to be thrown, hence, to lie, fr. jacĕre 
to throw. In the second sense fr. OF. gist
, F. gît
, 3d pers. sing. ind. of gésir 
to lie, used in a proverb, F., c’est là que gît 
le lièvre, it is there that the hare lies, i. e., that is the point, the difficulty. See Jet 
a shooting forth, and cf. Agist
, Joist
, Noun.
Gest 
a stage in traveling.] 1. 
A resting place. 
[Obs.] 
These quails have their set 
gists
; to wit, ordinary resting and baiting places. Holland.
2. 
The main point, as of a question; the point on which an action rests; the pith of a matter; 
as, the 
. gist 
of a questionWebster 1828 Edition
Gist
GIST
,Noun.