Toolset

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of tools, encompassing various instruments for specific tasks or trades
2. A comprehensive set of equipment designed to assist in the completion of particular activities, often used in professional or technical fields
3. An organized assortment of tools that are grouped together to facilitate both routine and specialized operations in a given area of work or craftsmanship

Etymology: "Toolset" is about as transparent as compounds get: it simply joins "tool" and "set," with "set" in its old sense of a complete group of things that belong together, as in a set of china or a set of encyclopedias. The "tool" element goes back to Old English "tōl," which meant a weapon or implement, and "set" comes from Old English "settan," to put or place. Putting the two together gives a literal sense of a group of implements placed together for a particular job. The pattern is a modern one. Both halves have been used in English for centuries, but the compound describes a grouping that became common mainly as trades and workshops came to think of their equipment as a unit, often in lists of implements sold or issued together. The word needs no special story, so its interest lies in how ordinary parts combine into a precise, practical term.

Synonyms: toolkit, equipment, tools, gear, instruments