Noun:
an analytic or interpretive literary compositiona tentative attempt
Verb:
make an effort or attempt;He tried to shake off his fears
The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps
The police attempted to stop the thief
He sought to improve himself
She always seeks to do good in the world
put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to;This approach has been tried with good results
Test this recipe
composition，article，essay，paper，prose，thesis，theme，dissertation这些名词均含“文章”或“论文”之意。
composition多指学校里老师给学生的作文练习。
article多指在报刊、杂志上发表的非文艺性的文章，包括新闻报导、学术论文等。
essay指任何一种非小说性的，篇幅不长、结构简练的文章，如论说文、报道、评论、讽刺性杂文等。
paper正式用词，多指在学术刊物上发表或在学术会议上宣读的专题论文，也指高等学校的学期论文，或学校里的作文练习。
prose专指散文。
thesis既可指毕业论文、学位论文，又可指一般的为阐述学术观点而写的论文。
theme一般指大学或高中生作为作业所写的篇幅有限、较完整论述某个观点的文章。也可指作品或谈话的主要论题。
dissertation书面语用词，指独立研究后所写的较为详细的专题文章；也可指学位论文。
16世纪90年代进入英语，直接源自中古法语的essai，意为尝试，企图；最初源自古典拉丁语的exigere：ex 出） +agere (称量），意为权衡，称重。
用作名词 (n.
动词+～understand the essay理解那篇散文write an essay写一篇文章形容词+～literary essay散文editorial essay社论介词+～reject from the essay从这篇散文中剔除the title of the essay随笔的标题
近义词 paper纸try试验test考验seek寻求theme主题study研究assay化验prove证明strive奋斗article文章attempt企图examine检查try out试验prose散文的treatise论文endeavor尽力undertake承担thesis毕业论文experiment试验composition成分dissertation论文
用作名词n.It's an essay heavy with surplus phrasing.这是篇废话连篇的散文。
This is a thoughtful essay.这是一篇具有思想性的随笔。
名词50%,动词50%
用作名词Thisessayis admirable in all respects.这篇文章在各方面都很值得欣赏。
I had turn over myessayto the professor.我已经把论文交给教授了。
Thisessayrepresents a considerable improvement on your recent work.这篇论文说明你最近的工作取得了相当大的改进。
The teacher geve anessayon his composition.老师给他的作文做了一个短评。
Hisessaywas carried in the June number.他的散文登载在六月号上。
In my opinion,essayis more readable than poem.在我看来，散文比诗歌更具可读性。
She made her firstessaysat cooking.她初次尝试做菜。用作及物动词Heessayedto speak but was told to be quiet.他试图发言,但主席让他不要讲话。 It was Napoleon, the immense somnambulist of this dream which had crumbled, essaying once more to advance.
那人便是拿破仑，梦游中的巨人，他还想往前走，去追寻那崩塌了的幻境。 ebigear