资料来源 : pyDict

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资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Essence \Es"sence\, n. [F. essence, L. essentia, formed as if
   fr. a p. pr. of esse to be. See {Is}, and cf. {Entity}.]
   1. The constituent elementary notions which constitute a
      complex notion, and must be enumerated to define it;
      sometimes called the nominal essence.

   2. 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.
                                                  --Landor.

            Gifts and alms are the expressions, not the essence
            of this virtue [charity].             --Addison.

            The essence of Addison's humor is irony.
                                                  --Courthope.

   3. Constituent substance.

            And uncompounded is their essence pure. --Milton.

   4. A being; esp., a purely spiritual being.

            As far as gods and heavenly essences Can perish.
                                                  --Milton.

            He had been indulging in fanciful speculations on
            spiritual essences, until . . . he had and ideal
            world of his own around him.          --W. Irving.

   5. 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.                         --J. S. Mill.

   6. Perfume; odor; scent; or the volatile matter constituting
      perfume.

            Nor let the essences exhale.          --Pope.

Essence \Es"sence\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Essenced}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Essencing}.]
   To perfume; to scent. ``Essenced fops.'' --Addison.

资料来源 : WordNet®

essence
     n 1: 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}]
     2: any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant
        properties of a plant or drug or other natural product
        from which it is extracted
     3: the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
        [syn: {effect}, {burden}, {core}, {gist}]
     4: a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor [syn: {perfume}]