Components or elements that go into the composition of something, especially the foods used to make a particular dish. Any constituent parts of a mixture or combination.
From Latin 'ingrediens', present participle of 'ingredi' meaning 'to enter into', composed of 'in-' (into) and 'gradi' (to step or walk). The word originally described things that 'stepped into' a mixture, entering English in the 15th century through alchemical and culinary texts.
The word 'ingredients' literally means 'things that step into' a mixture, creating a wonderful image of components walking into a recipe like actors entering a stage. This same Latin root 'gradi' gives us 'grade', 'gradient', and 'progress' - all involving the concept of stepping or moving forward.
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