3. An assay. See Assay, n. [Obs.]
Syn. — Attempt; trial; endeavor; effort; tract; treatise; dissertation; disquisition.
ESSAY
Es*say", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Essayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Essaying.]
Etym: [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.
ESSAYER
Es*say"er, n.
Defn: One who essays. Addison.
ESSAYIST
Es"say*ist, n.
Defn: A writer of an essay, or of essays. B. Jonson.
ESSENCE Es"sence, n. Etym: [F. essence, L. essentia, formed as if fr. a p. pr. of esse to be. See Is, and cf. Entity.]