Part 3930

<i>M. Arnold.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Lit.)</fld> <def>A composition treating of any particular subject; -- usually shorter and less methodical than a formal, finished treatise; <as>as, an <ex>essay</ex> on the life and writings of Homer; an <ex>essay</ex> on fossils, or on commerce.</as></def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>An assay. See <er>Assay</er>, <tt>n.</tt></def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<syn>Syn. -- Attempt; trial; endeavor; effort; tract; treatise; dissertation; disquisition.</syn>

<h1>Essay</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*say"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Essayed</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Essaying</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[F. <ets>essayer</ets>. See <er>Essay</er>, <tt>n.</tt>]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>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.</def>

<blockquote>What marvel if I thus <b>essay</b> to sing? <i>Byron.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote><b>Essaying</b> nothing she can not perform. <i>Emerson.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>A danger lest the young enthusiast . . . should <b>essay</b> the impossible. <i>J. C. Shairp.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To test the value and purity of (metals); to assay. See <er>Assay</er>.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Locke.</i>

<h1>Essayer</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*say"er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who essays.</def>

<i>Addison.</i>

<h1>Essayist</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es"say*ist</hw> <tt>(?; 277)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>A writer of an essay, or of essays.</def>

<i>B. Jonson.</i>

<h1>Essence</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es"sence</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>essence</ets>, L. <ets>essentia</ets>, formed as if fr. a p. pr. of <ets>esse</ets> to be. See <er>Is</er>, and cf. <er>Entity</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>The constituent elementary notions which constitute a complex notion, and must be enumerated to define it; sometimes called the <i>nominal essence</i>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The constituent quality or qualities which belong to any object, or class of objects, or on which they depend for being what they are (distinguished as <i>real essence</i>); the real being, divested of all logical accidents; that quality which constitutes or marks the true nature of anything; distinctive character; hence, virtue or quality of a thing, separated from its grosser parts.</def>

<blockquote>The laws are at present, both in form and <b>essence</b>, the greatest curse that society labors under. <i>Landor.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Gifts and alms are the expressions, not the <b>essence</b> of this virtue [charity]. <i>Addison.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>The <b>essence</b> of Addison's humor is irony. <i>Courthope.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>Constituent substance.</def>

<blockquote>And uncompounded is their <b>essence</b> pure. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>A being; esp., a purely spiritual being.</def>