Dictionary

essay en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈɛs.eɪ/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation) sense 1
• /ɛˈseɪ/ senses 2-4

Etymology

Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay, essai (“essay”), meaning coined by Montaigne at the same time, from the same words with the earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay, essai, assay, assai, from Latin exagium (“weight; weighing, testing on the balance”), from exigere + -ium.

Meanings

1. A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject.
   • In his first book since the 2008 essay collection Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature, David Quammen looks at the natural world from yet another angle: the search for the next human pandemic, what epidemiologists call “the next big one.” 2013 January 14, Katie L. Burke, “Ecological Dependency”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 1, archived from the original on 09 Feb 2017, page 64:
2. (obsolete) A test, experiment; an assay.
3. (archaic) An attempt.
   • My first essay at getting employment was fruitless; but after no small number of mortifying rebuffs from various parties to whom I applied for assistance, I was at last rewarded by a comparative success. 1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 16:
   • This was Lee's first essay in the kind of offensive-defensive strategy that was to become his hallmark. 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Oxford, published 2003, page 455:
4. A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote.

Forms

Deriveds

in this essay I will · counteressay · essaylet · essayism · photo-essay · essay question · essay mill · miniessay · essayic · video essay · essaykin · essaylike · eight-legged essay · essayette · argumentative essay · essayish · photo essay

Relateds

essayist · essayistic · assay

Translations (144)

be твор (written composition) · be на́рыс (written composition) · ps مقاله (written composition) · mn эссе (written composition) · it studio (written composition) · km អត្ថបទ (written composition) · grc μελετήματα (written composition) · mg lahateny (written composition) · mg kabary (written composition) · as ৰচনা (written composition) · ug ماقالە (written composition) · ur مَضْمُون (written composition) · yue 作文 (written composition) · pl wypracowanie (written composition) · lv eseja (written composition) · mi tuhingaroa (written composition) · nl opstel (written composition) · lt esė (written composition) · pl rozprawka (written composition) · et kirjand (written composition) · nl essay (written composition) · it ricerca (written composition) · fa-ira مَقالِه (written composition) · uz insho (written composition) · io esayo (written composition) · sk esej (written composition) · ky эссе (written composition) · he מַסָּה (written composition) · tg иншо (written composition) · es monografía (written composition) · hu esszé (written composition) · bg есе́ (written composition) · de Essay (written composition) · gl ensaio (written composition) · bg о́черк (written composition) · id esai (written composition) · ky дилбаян (written composition) · da essay (written composition) · lo ບົດນິພົນ (written composition) · ka თხზულება (written composition) · prs مَقَالَه (written composition) · fr rédaction (written composition) · sq ese (written composition) · yi עסיי (written composition) · uk на́рис (written composition) · tg навиштор (written composition) · sl esej (written composition) · el έκθεση (written composition) · ba инша (written composition) · th ข้อเขียน (written composition) · lo ບົດແຕ່ງ (written composition) · ml ഉപന്യാസം (written composition) · pt redação (written composition) · kk эссе (written composition) · az məqalə (written composition) · nb essay (written composition) · ka ესე (written composition) · ca redacció (written composition) · el σύγγραμα (written composition) · tk oçerk (written composition) · ru сочине́ние (written composition) · ga aiste (written composition) · lo ບົດຄວາມ (written composition) · el πραγματεία (written composition) · nl essai (written composition) · kk очерк (written composition) · az inşa (written composition) · fi ainekirjoitus (written composition) · pt ensaio (written composition) · la meditatio (written composition) · ja エッセイ (written composition) · uk твір (written composition) · fr essai (written composition) · uz esse (written composition) · fi kirjoitelma (written composition) · sv uppsats (written composition) · ar مَقَالَة (written composition) · es redacción (written composition) · az esse (written composition) · tl sanaysay (written composition) · cy ysgrif (written composition) · cmn 雜文 /杂文 (written composition) · ru о́черк (written composition) · is ritgerð (written composition) · th ความเรียง (written composition) · uk есе́й (written composition) · sv essä (written composition) · it saggio (written composition) · sh ѐсе̄ј (written composition) · sw insha (written composition) · ro eseu (written composition) · pl esej (written composition) · mk есеј (written composition) · mg famelabelaran-kevitra (written composition) · de Aufsatz (written composition) · hy էսսե (written composition) · la meletemata (written composition) · be эсэ́ (written composition) · el δοκίμιο (written composition) · ja 随筆 (written composition) · ko 에세이 (written composition) · bn প্রবন্ধ (written composition) · te వ్యాసము (written composition) · ko 수필 (written composition) · bg съчине́ние (written composition) · tt инша (written composition) · tr kompozisyon (written composition) · ru эссе́ (written composition) · tg мақола (written composition) · ur اِنْشائِیَہ (written composition) · cy traethawd (written composition) · fa-ira جُسْتار (written composition) · kk мақала (written composition) · az oçerk (written composition) · tr deneme (written composition) · yo àròkọ (written composition) · es composición escrita (written composition) · mn эсээ (written composition) · my စာစီစာကုံး (written composition) · fr dissertation (written composition) · fi aine (written composition) · hi निबंध (written composition) · mr निबंध (written composition) · kk шығарма (written composition) · ky очерк (written composition) · vi tiểu luận (written composition) · uz ocherk (written composition) · cmn 論文 /论文 (written composition) · uk есе́ (written composition) · tk makala (written composition) · ur مَقالَہ (written composition) · es ensayo (written composition) · eo eseo (written composition) · ar بَحْث (written composition) · da stil (written composition) · my စာတမ်းငယ် (written composition) · sh èsēj (written composition) · cmn 作文 (written composition) · ms karangan (written composition) · fi essee (written composition) · et essee (written composition) · uz maqola (written composition) · hy շարադրություն (written composition) · cs esej (written composition)

wikidata: Q35760

essay en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ɛˈseɪ/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Middle French essayer, essaier, from Old French essaiier, essayer, essaier, assaiier, assayer, assaier, from essay, essai, assay, assai (“attempt; assay; experiment”) as above.

Meanings

1. (dated, transitive) To attempt or try.
   • The train took the slow to branch spur at the north end at a not much slower speed, then essayed the short sharply curved climb with a terrific roar, smoke rising straight from the chimney to a height of some 60 ft., the long train twisting and curling behind. 1950 April, R. A. H. Weight, “They Passed by My Window”, in Railway Magazine, page 260:
   • They, at least, had talked about it. And however full of death and darkness their accounts had been, they'd at least essayed a certain personal honesty. 1986, Samuel R. Delany, Joseph Beam, “The Possibility of Possibilities”, in Joseph Beam, editor, In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology, page 197:
   • There was the counter, there was the bulletin board, above her the dull sound of music being played over headphones. Something jaunty. She liked the beat. Then the sound of a chair being pushed back, and someone humming as they walked away from her, and she darted up to plunge the bayonet into their kidneys from behind. A followup stroke through the back of the neck, and the second soldier was down. She didn't even stop to see if it was a man or a woman, young or old. There were further hurdles to essay before she reached her destination. 2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 22 May 2024:
   • Shall we essay a walk on the promenade?
   • He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open. 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars:
2. (intransitive) To move forth, as into battle.

Forms

Deriveds

unessayed