- 1essay (on something) a short piece of writing by a student as part of a course of study an essay on the causes of the First World War
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- 2essay (on something) a short piece of writing on a particular subject, written in order to be published The book contains a number of interesting essays on women in society.
- 3essay (in something) (formal) an attempt to do something His first essay in politics was a complete disaster.
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