ingredient
Etymology

From , from , present participle of ingredior ("I go or enter into or onto").

Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/
Noun

ingredient (plural ingredients)

  1. One of the substances present in a mixture, especially food.
    The ingredients of a Spanish omelette are potatoes, eggs, onion, and a little salt.
    • 1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC ↗:
      By way of analysis we may proceed from compounds to ingredients.
    • 1731, John Arbuthnot, An Essay Concerning the Nature of Aliments, and the Choice of Them, According to the Different Constitutions of Human Bodies. […], 1st Irish edition, Dublin: […] S. Powell, for George Risk, […], George Ewing, […], and William Smith, […], →OCLC ↗:
      Water is the chief ingredient in all the animal fluids and solids.
  2. (figurative) Necessary element to achieve a certain goal, component.
    Innovation is just one ingredient for continued growth.
    Patience and understanding are key ingredients for a long-lasting marriage.
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