attempt, endeavor; composition, article
attempt; test, experiment
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Essay Definition from Arts & Humanities Dictionaries & Glossaries
Rejected and unused stamp design.
Essay Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
(n.)
To test the value and purity of (metals); to assay. See Assay.
To test the value and purity of (metals); to assay. See Assay.
(n.)
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.
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.
(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.
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.
(n.)
An assay. See Assay, n.
An assay. See Assay, n.
(n.)
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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter. AboutA 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.
essay
\es*say"\ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. essayed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. essaying.] [f. essayer. see essay, n.]
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? essaying nothing she can not perform. a danger lest the young enthusiast should essay the impossible. c. shairp.
2. to test the value and purity of (metals); to assay. see assay. [obs.]
essay
\es"say\ (?), n.; pl. essays (#). [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. 'exa`gion a weight, 'exagia`zein to examine, 'exa`gein 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." arnold.
2. (lit.) 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, n. [obs.]
similar words(1)
to exibit an essay
Osiad = n. a making an essay
Osio = v. to offer to do, to essay
Praw, Prawf, profion = n. an essay, a trial, a proof
Prawen = n. an essay; a cast in play
Profiad = n. a proving; a probation; a tasting; an essay
Noun
1. an analytic or interpretive literary composition
(hypernym) writing, written material, piece of writing
(hyponym) composition, paper, report, theme
2. a tentative attempt
(hypernym) attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try
(derivation) try, seek, attempt, assay
Verb
1. make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"
(synonym) try, seek, attempt, assay
(hypernym) act, move
(hyponym) take a dare, pick up the gauntlet
2. put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to; "This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe"
(synonym) test, prove, try, try out, examine
(hypernym) judge
(hyponym) control, verify
Essay Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition of an essay is vague, overlapping with those of an article and a short story. Almost all modern essays are written in prose, but works in verse have been dubbed essays (e.g. Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism and An Essay on Man). While brevity usually defines an essay, voluminous works like John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Malthus's An Essay on the Principle of Population are counterexamples.
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