If I'm talking about stuff things are made of (e.g. the brick is made of wood) or about materials as such not concrete objects (e.g. butter as material not as a pack of butter or the matter "inside" stones) is "substance" the most general term? I mean both artificial and natural objects.
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You may be looking for components here. E.g., The components of concrete are water, aggregate, and Portland cement.– P. E. Dant Reinstate MonicaAug 9, 2016 at 22:48
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After more thought: perhaps constituents is the word you need. I admit that you threw me with the "bricks made of wood," though.– P. E. Dant Reinstate MonicaAug 10, 2016 at 3:45
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@P.E.Dant I can't call things that look like briks but are not briks "briks"? I mean in the shape of briks.– Anastasiia IurshinaAug 11, 2016 at 9:28
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Oh! In English, without other context, a brick is a rectangular block made of baked clay. We would say block of wood to describe what you meant.– P. E. Dant Reinstate MonicaAug 11, 2016 at 16:17
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1 Answer
Maybe you are looking for matter? It's pretty general.
- a : the substance of which a physical object is composed
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Now, when you asked, I feel like probably I was looking for this one. :) Thanks. But what is the difference in meaning with the substance? Aug 9, 2016 at 19:10
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I think the answer lies in their scientific meanings. I can't remember, but I think everything physical is made of matter. In plain English, it sounds strange to say "everything is made of substance" (at least to me it sounds strange).– Em. ♦Aug 9, 2016 at 19:19