Hypertext Webster Gateway: "essay"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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? --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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.''
--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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
essay
n 1: an analytic or interpretive literary composition
2: a tentative attempt
v 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" [syn: {try}, {seek}, {attempt}, {assay}]
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" [syn: {test}, {prove}, {try}, {try out},
{examine}]
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