- (n.) To test the value and purity of (metals); to assay. See Assay.
- (n.) An assay. See Assay, n.
- (n.) 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.
- (n.) 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.
- (n.) 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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). essay. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/essay/definitions/2004838 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "essay" http://smartdefine.org/essay/definitions/2004838 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, essay, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/essay/definitions/2004838>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "essay" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/essay/definitions/2004838> |