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Noun: essay  esey
  1. An analytic or interpretive literary composition
     
  2. A tentative attempt
Verb: essay  e'sey
  1. Make an effort or attempt
    "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"
    - try, seek, attempt, assay
     
  2. Put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to
    - test, prove, try, try out, examine, trial

Derived forms: essayed, essays, essaying

See also: essayer, essayist

Type of: act, attempt, effort, endeavor [US], endeavour [Brit, Cdn], evaluate, judge, move, pass judgment, piece of writing, try, writing, written material

Encyclopedia: Essay Essay, Orne