Hip Glossary: Essence
Essence:
1. The constituent elementary notions which constitute a complex notion, and must be enumerated to define it; sometimes called the nominal essence.
The constituent elementary notions which constitute a complex notion, and must be enumerated to define it; sometimes called the .
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.
Gifts and alms are the expressions, not the essence of this virtue [charity]. Addison.
The essence of Addison’s humor is irony. Courthope.
And uncompounded is their essence pure. Milton.
As far as gods and heavenly essences Can perish. Milton.
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.
Nor let the essences exhale. Pope.
Source:websters1913dictionary