n.
Pronunciation: ' e- ˌ s ā ; senses 1, 2 & 4 also e- ' s ā
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French essai, ultimately from Late Latin exagium act of weighing, from Latin ex- + agere to drive ― more at AGENT
Date: 14th century
1 : TRIAL , TEST
2 a : EFFORT , ATTEMPT especially : an initial tentative effort b : the result or product of an attempt
3 a : an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view b : something resembling such a composition <a photographic essay >
4 : a proof of an unaccepted design for a stamp or piece of paper money