different between effort vs essay

English

Etymology

From Middle French effort, from Old French esfort, deverbal of esforcier (“to force, exert”), from Vulgar Latin *exforti?, from Latin ex + fortis (“strong”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??f?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??f?t/

Noun

effort (plural efforts)

1. The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.
2. An endeavor.
3. A force acting on a body in the direction of its motion.
   • 1858, Macquorn Rankine, Manual of Applied Mechanics

     the two bodies between which the effort acts

Usage notes

• Adjectives often used with "effort": conscious, good, poor, etc.

Synonyms

• struggle

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

effort (third-person singular simple present efforts, present participle efforting, simple past and past participle efforted)

1. (uncommon, intransitive) To make an effort.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To strengthen, fortify or stimulate

French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French esfort, from esforcier; morphologically, deverbal of efforcer. Compare Spanish esfuerzo, Catalan esforç, Portuguese esforço, Italian sforzo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.f??/
• Rhymes: -??

Noun

effort m (plural efforts)

1. effort

Derived terms

• loi du moindre effort

Related terms

• efforcer

Descendants

• ? Romanian: efort

Further reading

• “effort” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• offert

Middle French

Etymology

Old French.

Noun

effort m (plural effors)

1. strength; might; force
2. (military) unit; division

References

• effort on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330–1500) (in French)

Old French

Noun

effort m (oblique plural efforz or effortz, nominative singular efforz or effortz, nominative plural effort)

1. Alternative form of esfort

English

Etymology 1

Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay, essai (“essay”), meaning coined by Montaigne in the same time, from the same words in earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay, essai, assay, assai, from Latin exagium (“weight; weighing, testing on the balance”), from exigere + -ium.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /???se?/
• Rhymes: -?se?

Noun

essay (plural essays)

1. (authorship) A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject.
2. (obsolete) A test, experiment; an assay.
3. (now rare) An attempt.
   • 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Oxford 2003, p. 455:

     This was Lee's first essay in the kind of offensive-defensive strategy that was to become his hallmark.

4. (philately, finance) A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote.

Derived terms

• photo essay

Related terms

• assay
• essayist
• essayistic

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle French essayer, essaier, from Old French essaiier, essayer, essaier, assaiier, assayer, assaier, from essay, essai, assay, assai (“attempt; assay; experiment”) as above.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /??se?/, /???se?/

Verb

essay (third-person singular simple present essays, present participle essaying, simple past and past participle essayed)

1. (dated, transitive) To try.
2. (intransitive) To move forth, as into battle.

Translations

Anagrams

• Sayes, Seays, Sesay, eyass

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English essay (“essay”), from Middle French essai (“essay; attempt, assay”), from Old French essai, from Latin exagium (whence the neuter gender).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??se?/, /??.se?/
• Hyphenation: es?say
• Rhymes: -e?

Noun

essay n (plural essays, diminutive essaytje n)

1. essay

Hypernyms

• betoog

Derived terms

• essayist

Descendants

• ? Indonesian: esai

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from English essay, from Middle French essai.

Noun

essay n (definite singular essayet, indefinite plural essay or essayer, definite plural essaya or essayene)

1. an essay, a written composition of moderate length exploring a particular subject

Derived terms

• essaysamling

References

• “essay” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from English essay, from Middle French essai.

Noun

essay n (definite singular essayet, indefinite plural essay, definite plural essaya)

1. an essay, a written composition of moderate length exploring a particular subject

Derived terms

• essaysamling

References

• “essay” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.