Definition of Essay

1. Noun. An analytic or interpretive literary composition.

Generic synonyms: Piece Of Writing, Writing, Written Material
Specialized synonyms: Composition, Paper, Report, Theme, Disquisition, Memoir, Thanatopsis
Derivative terms: Essayist

2. Verb. Make an effort or attempt. "They essay to move "; "She always seeks to do good in the world"

3. Noun. A tentative attempt.
Generic synonyms: Attempt, Effort, Endeavor, Endeavour, Try

4. Verb. Put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to. "Test this recipe"
Exact synonyms: Examine, Prove, Test, Try, Try Out
Generic synonyms: Evaluate, Judge, Pass Judgment
Specialized synonyms: Control, Verify, Float, Field-test
Derivative terms: Examination, Examination, Examination, Examiner, Test, Testing, Trial, Trier, Tryout

Definition of Essay

1. n. An effort made, or exertion of body or mind, for the performance of anything; a trial; attempt; as, to make an essay to benefit a friend.

2. v. t. To exert one's power or faculties upon; to make an effort to perform; to attempt; to endeavor; to make experiment or trial of; to try.

Definition of Essay

1. Noun. A written composition of moderate length exploring a particular issue or subject. ¹

2. Noun. (obsolete) A test, experiment; an assay. ¹

3. Noun. (rare) An attempt. ¹

4. Verb. (dated transitive) To try. ¹

5. Verb. (intransitive) To move forth, as into battle. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Essay

1. to try [v -ED, -ING, -S] - See also: try

Medical Definition of Essay

1. Origin: F. Essai, fr. L. Exagium a weighing, weight, balance; ex out + agere to drive, do; cf. Examen, exagmen, a means of weighing, a weighing, the tongue of a balance, exigere to drive out, examine, weigh, Gr. 'exagion a weight, 'exagiazein to examine, 'exagein to drive out, export. See Agent, and cf. Exact, Examine, Assay. 1. An effort made, or exertion of body or mind, for the performance of anything; a trial; attempt; as, to make an essay to benefit a friend. "The essay at organization." 2. A composition treating of any particular subject; usually shorter and less methodical than a formal, finished treatise; as, an essay on the life and writings of Homer; an essay on fossils, or on commerce. 3. An assay. See Assay. Synonym: Attempt, trial, endeavor, effort, tract, treatise, dissertation, disquisition. 1. To exert one's power or faculties upon; to make an effort to perform; to attempt; to endeavor; to make experiment or trial of; to try. "What marvel if I thus essay to sing?" (Byron) "Essaying nothing she can not perform." (Emerson) "A danger lest the young enthusiast . . . Should essay the impossible." (J. C. Shairp) 2. To test the value and purity of (metals); to assay. See Assay. Origin: F. Essayer. See Essay. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Essay

espundia
espy
espying
esq.
esquamulose
esquilax
esquilaxes
esquinancea
esquire
esquired
esquires
esquiring
esquisse
esquisses
ess
essay (current term)
essayed
essayer
essayers
essaying
essayings
essayish
essayist
essayistic
essayists
essaylike
essays
esse
essence
essence of rose

Literary usage of Essay

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors by Charles Wells Moulton (1902)
"From the point of view taken in this essay, each had failed alike to ... essay ON CRITICISM 1711-12 "The Art of Criticism, " which was published some months ..."

2. The Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley in Verse and Prose, Now First Brought by Robert Browning, W. Tyas Harden, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Harry Buxton Forman, William Groser (1880)
"It is true that the Devil is described as the weak point, outwork, and so on, of the Christian faith ; and had the essay been finished the line indicated ..."

3. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"He himself tells us that when, Ia poisonous novelty, as others have considered it, is no after the publication of the original essay, the main I more than a ..."

4. Reliques of Ancient English Poetry: Consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs by Thomas Percy, J. V. Prichard (1876)
"... &c., are thrown together to the end of this essay. i Wedded to no hypothesis, the Author hath readily corrected any mistakes which have been prowl to be ..."

5. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences by Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (U.S.) (1859)
"The essay of Dr. Morris claims to be such a monograph. It is an enlarged and amended edition of an essay published by him some years ago, and which was most ..."

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