English Online Dictionary. What means essay? What does essay mean?
English
Etymology 1
Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay, essai (“essay”), meaning coined by Montaigne in the same time, from the same words in earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay, essai, assay, assai, from Latin exagium (“weight; weighing, testing on the balance”), from exigere + -ium.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈɛs.eɪ/ (1), IPA(key): /ɛˈseɪ/ (2-4)
- Rhymes: -ɛseɪ
- Homophone: ese
Noun
essay (plural essays)
- (authorship) A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject.
- (obsolete) A test, experiment; an assay.
- (now rare) An attempt.
- (philately, finance) A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote.
Derived terms
Related terms
- assay
- essayist
- essayistic
Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle French essayer, essaier, from Old French essaiier, essayer, essaier, assaiier, assayer, assaier, from essay, essai, assay, assai (“attempt; assay; experiment”) as above.
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /ɛˈseɪ/
Verb
essay (third-person singular simple present essays, present participle essaying, simple past and past participle essayed)
- (dated, transitive) To attempt or try.
- (intransitive) To move forth, as into battle.
Translations
Anagrams
- Sayes, Seays, Sesay, eyass
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English essay (“essay”), from Middle French essai (“essay; attempt, assay”), from Old French essai, from Latin exagium (whence the neuter gender).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛˈseː/, /ˈɛ.seː/
- Hyphenation: es‧say
- Rhymes: -eː
Noun
essay n (plural essays, diminutive essaytje n)
- essay
Hypernyms
- betoog
Derived terms
- essayist
Descendants
- → Indonesian: esai
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Borrowed from English essay, from Middle French essai.
Noun
essay n (definite singular essayet, indefinite plural essay or essayer, definite plural essaya or essayene)
- an essay, a written composition of moderate length exploring a particular subject
Derived terms
- essaysamling
References
- “essay” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
Borrowed from English essay, from Middle French essai.
Noun
essay n (definite singular essayet, indefinite plural essay, definite plural essaya)
- an essay, a written composition of moderate length exploring a particular subject
Derived terms
- essaysamling
References
- “essay” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.