essay Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an analytic or interpretive literary composition
  2. noun a tentative attempt
  3. verb make an effort or attempt
    try; attempt; seek; assay.
    • 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
  4. verb put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to
    prove; try; examine; try out; test.
    • This approach has been tried with good results
    • Test this recipe

WordNet

Es"say noun
Etymology
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.
Wordforms
plural Essays
Definitions
  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." M. 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. Syn. -- Attempt; trial; endeavor; effort; tract; treatise; dissertation; disquisition.
Es*say" transitive verb
Etymology
F. essayer. See Essay, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Essayed ; present participle & verbal noun Essaying
Definitions
  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. Obs. Locke.

Webster 1913