essay
UK: ˈɛseɪ | US: ˈɛseɪ
n. a short piece of writing on a particular subject
n. an attempt or effort
vt. to attempt or try
The word "essay" originates from the French "essayer," meaning "to try" or "to attempt," which itself derives from the Latin "exagium" (a weighing, trial). The morpheme "es" (from Latin "ex-") signifies "out," while "say" (from Latin "sagium") relates to "speak" or "express." Over time, "essay" evolved from denoting a trial or attempt to its modern meaning of a short written composition, reflecting the idea of "putting thoughts into words."
She wrote an essay on climate change for her class.
His first essay at painting was surprisingly good.
The scientist will essay a new approach to the problem.
The book contains a collection of personal essays.
He decided to essay the role of Hamlet in the school play.