essay
[ noun es-ey for 1, 2; es-ey, e-sey for 3-5; verb e-sey ]
/ noun ˈɛs eɪ for 1, 2; ˈɛs eɪ, ɛˈseɪ for 3-5; verb ɛˈseɪ /
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noun
verb (used with object)
to try; attempt.
to put to the test; make trial of.
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Origin of essay
OTHER WORDS FROM essay
es·say·er, nounpre·es·say, verb (used without object)un·es·sayed, adjectivewell-es·sayed, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH essay
assay, essayWords nearby essay
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use essay in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for essay
essay
noun (ˈɛseɪ, for senses 2, 3 also ɛˈseɪ)
a short literary composition dealing with a subject analytically or speculatively
an attempt or endeavour; effort
a test or trial
verb (ɛˈseɪ) (tr)
to attempt or endeavour; try
to test or try out
Word Origin for essay
C15: from Old French essaier to attempt, from essai an attempt, from Late Latin exagium a weighing, from Latin agere to do, compel, influenced by exigere to investigate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for essay
essay
A short piece of writing on one subject, usually presenting the author's own views. Michel de Montaigne, Francis Bacon (see also Bacon), and Ralph Waldo Emerson are celebrated for their essays.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.