Etymology : Middle English, from Middle French and Latin; Middle French, from Latin essentia, from esse to be; more at IS
Pronunciation : e-s
&n(t)s
Function : noun
Date : 14th century
1. inherent nature of something, spirit, central or outstanding characteristic; extract obtained from a plant or other substance by means of distillation; perfume, scent. essence\es"sence\ , n. [f. essence, l. essentia, formed as if fr. a p. pr. of esse to be. see:
is, and cf. entity.].
2. the constituent elementary notions which constitute a complex notion, and must be enumerated to define it; sometimes called the nominal essence.
3. the constituent quality or qualities which belong to any object, or class of objects, or on which they depend for being what they are (distinguished as real essence); the real being, divested of all logical accidents; that quality which constitutes or marks the true nature of anything; distinctive character; hence, virtue or quality of a thing, separated from its grosser parts. the laws are at present, both in form and essence, the greatest curse that society labors under. gifts and alms are the expressions, not the essence of this virtue [charity]. the essence of addison's humor is irony. ourthope.
4. constituent substance. and uncompounded is their essence pure.
5. a being; esp., a purely spiritual being. as far as gods and heavenly essences can perish. he had been indulging in fanciful speculations on spiritual essences, until he had and ideal world of his own around him. irving.
6. the predominant qualities or virtues of a plant or drug, extracted and refined from grosser matter; or, more strictly, the solution in spirits of wine of a volatile or essential oil; as, the essence of mint, and the like. the word essence scarcely underwent a more complete transformation when from being the abstract of the verb "to be," it came to denote something sufficiently concrete to be inclosed in a glass bottle. s. mill.
7. perfume; odor; scent; or the volatile matter constituting perfume. nor let the essences exhale.essence \es"sence\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. essenced ; p. pr. & vb. n. essencing .] to perfume; to scent. "essenced fops."essence n.
8. the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience: "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the republican party"; "the nub of the story" [syn: kernel, substance, core, center, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty].
9. any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted.
10. the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work [syn: effect, burden, core, gist].
11. a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor [syn: perfume].
12. The constituent elementary notions which constitute a complex notion, and must be enumerated to define it; sometimes called the nominal essence.
13. The constituent quality or qualities which belong to any object, or class of objects, or on which they depend for being what they are ; the real being, divested of all logical accidents; that quality which constitutes or marks the true nature of anything; distinctive character; hence, virtue or quality of a thing, separated from its grosser parts.
14. Constituent substance.
15. A being; esp., a purely spiritual being.
16. The predominant qualities or virtues of a plant or drug, extracted and refined from grosser matter; or, more strictly, the solution in spirits of wine of a volatile or essential oil; as, the essence of mint, and the like.
17. Perfume; odor; scent; or the volatile matter constituting perfume.
18. To perfume; to scent. any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted.
19. 1. The essence of something is its basic and most important characteristic which gives it its individual identity. The essence of consultation is to listen to, and take account of, the views of those consulted. the essence of life emphasis You use in essence to emphasize that you are talking about the most important or central aspect of an idea, situation, or event. Though off-puttingly complicated in detail, local taxes are in essence simple. If you say that something is of the essence, you mean that it is absolutely necessary in order for a particular action to be successful. Speed was of the essence in a project of this type. = crucial.
20. Essence is a very concentrated liquid that is used for flavouring food or for its smell. a few drops of vanilla essence.
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