Makings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A combination of ingredients or elements that give rise to something, often referring to the fundamental components of a specific product or concept
2. The inherent qualities or characteristics that define a person or thing, indicating what is essential to their identity or nature
3. The materials or substances that are necessary for creating a particular item, often implying the potential or promise of what can be developed from them

Etymology: The plural "makings" is the form of "making", a noun formed from the verb "make" plus the suffix "-ing". Old English had "macian" for the verb, and the noun "macung" was built on it, with the same sense of the act or process of making. Over the centuries the singular kept the general idea of production, while the plural drifted toward the materials that a thing is made from. That shift is what gives the plural its modern meaning. A "making" in the singular is the act of creating something, as in "the making of a film." Once people spoke of the things needed for such an act, the plural came to mean the necessary ingredients or raw stock, as in "the makings of a good stew." The plural also appears in the phrase "the makings of," which points to the qualities or components that could develop into something larger.

Synonyms: ingredients, components, elements, materials, constituents