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| es·sence [ éss'nss ] (plural es·sences) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. identifying nature: the quality or nature of something that identifies it or makes it what it is
  You've described the city, but you haven't communicated its essence.
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2. most important feature: the most important element or feature of something
The essence of leadership is said to be the willingness of other people to follow.
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3. perfect form: the perfect or idealized form of something, especially when embodied in a person
She's the essence of tact.
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4. biochemistry chemical constituent of plant: a purified plant extract
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5. cooking cosmetics concentrated plant extract: a concentrated plant extract containing its unique flavor and fragrance
vanilla essence
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| [14th century. Via French< Latin essentia< essent-, present participle of esse "be"] |
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in essence fundamentally or intrinsically
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of the essence of the highest importance for achieving something
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