crux; root of a problem; sticking point
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
a lump or mass in the abdomen (traditional Chinese medicine)
technicalA technical term from Traditional Chinese Medicine describing a palpable pathological mass or stagnation within the abdomen.
The experienced TCM doctor diagnosed his abdominal pain as being caused by a pathological mass inside the abdomen.
In TCM theory, stagnation of qi and blood may lead to the formation of abdominal masses.
noun
the crux; the root cause; the sticking point of a problem
This is the most common modern usage. It refers to the core, underlying difficulty that causes a problem to persist or prevents a solution.
The crux of the negotiation is the mutual distrust between the two parties.
We must identify the root cause of this project's failure.
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Insufficient funding is the main sticking point hindering our development.
The problem seems complicated, but the crux of it is actually quite simple.