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ertion of body or mind, for the performance of anything; a trial; attempt; as, to make an essay to benefit a friend. "The essay at organization." M. Arnold.

One who essays. Addison.

A writer of an essay, or of essays. B. Jonson.

said or written in defense, or by way of apology; regretfully excusing; as, an apologetic essay. "To speak in a subdued and apologetic tone." Macaulay.

Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] Chaucer. I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance. Milton.

A essay, trial, or endeavor; an undertaking; an attack, or an effort to gain a point; esp. an unsuccessful, as contrasted with a successful, effort. By his blindness maimed for high attempts. Milton. Attempt to commit a crime (Law), such an intentional preparatory act as will apparently result, if not extrinsically hin…

One who attempts; one who essays anything.

ion, especially one showing study and care in arrangement; -- often used of an elementary essay or translation done as an educational exercise.

itical examination or estimate of a work of literature or art; a critical dissertation or essay; a careful and through analysis of any subject; a criticism; as, Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason." I should as soon expect to see a critique on the poesy of a ring as on the inscription of a medal. Addison.…

Curt; brief; laconic. Essays and curtal aphorisms. Milton. Curtal dog. See Curtail dog.

of; to form in idea; to invent; to project; to lay out in the mind; as, a man designs an essay, a poem, a statue, or a cathedral.

conveying instruction; preceptive; instructive; teaching some moral lesson; as, didactic essays. "Didactical writings." Jer. Taylor. The finest didactic poem in any language. Macaulay.

ion or investigation of a matter, with the arguments and facts bearing upon it; elaborate essay; dissertation. For accurate research or grave disquisition he was not well qualified. Macaulay.

A formal or elaborate argumentative discourse, oral or written; a disquisition; an essay; a discussion; as, Dissertations on the Prophecies.

An explanatory or commendatory postscript to a poem, essay, or book; -- also in the French from, l'envoi. The envoy of a ballad is the "sending" of it forth. Skeat.

on or prize, to hold it forth or to tender it as a bounty to candidates. -- To exibit an essay, to declaim or otherwise present it in public. [Obs.]

ure of anything, or of any part of a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic; as, one of the features of the landscape. And to her service bind each living creature Through secret understanding of their feature. Spenser.

To flutter; to flap the wings without flying. And flickering on her nest made short essays to sing. Dryden.

Cited before; quoted in a foregoing part of the treatise or essay.

Capable of being used to advantage; profitable; serviceable; advantageous. The essays of weaker heads afford improvable hints to better. Sir T. Browne. -- Im*pro"a*ble*ness, n. -- Im*prov"a*bly, adv.