料 (liào) as a noun means 'material' or 'stuff' used in making things — broader and more colloquial than 材料 (cái liào), which focuses on manufacturing or data. When it means 'animal feed' (e.g., 饲料 sì liào), 料 is commonly used in compounds rather than alone. 东西 (dōng xi) is the general word for any 'stuff' or 'thing'.