'Essence' definitions:

Definition of 'essence'

(from WordNet)
noun
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, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty]
noun
Any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from which it is extracted
noun
The central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work [syn: effect, essence, burden, core, gist]
noun
A toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor [syn: perfume, essence]

Definition of 'Essence'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • The laws are at present, both in form and essence, the greatest curse that society labors under. --Landor. [1913 Webster]
  • Gifts and alms are the expressions, not the essence of this virtue [charity]. --Addison. [1913 Webster]
  • The essence of Addison's humor is irony. --Courthope. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Constituent substance. [1913 Webster]
  • And uncompounded is their essence pure. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. A being; esp., a purely spiritual being. [1913 Webster]
  • As far as gods and heavenly essences Can perish. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • He had been indulging in fanciful speculations on spiritual essences, until . . . he had and ideal world of his own around him. --W. Irving. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. Perfume; odor; scent; or the volatile matter constituting perfume. [1913 Webster]
  • Nor let the essences exhale. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Essence'

From: GCIDE
  • Essence \Es"sence\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Essenced; p. pr. & vb. n. Essencing.] To perfume; to scent. "Essenced fops." --Addison. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'essence'

From: Moby Thesaurus