及物动词
1. He essayed to speak but was told to be quiet.
他试图发言，但主席让他不要讲话。
名词
1. The professor wrote an essay on Homer.
这位教授写了一篇关于荷马的文章。
2. She made her first essays at cooking.
她初次尝试做菜。
3. This is a bold essay in the field of electrochemistry.
这是在电化学领域中的一个大胆尝试。
1. 论文：因为在学期里,学生们会被布置写很多报告(report),论文(essay)等等,特别是商科学生,如果没有真正参加过工作,对于人力资源(Human Resources),市场(Marketing)这些课程的论文又怎么能写出自己的真实体验呢?
1. （学生就某门课程所写的）论说文，短文
An essay is a short piece of writing on one particular subject written by a student.
e.g. We asked Jason to write an essay about his hometown and about his place in it.
我们让贾森写一篇有关他的家乡和他自己的家的短文。
2. （关于某一方面的）论文，杂文，散文
An essay is a short piece of writing on one particular subject that is written by a writer for publication.
e.g. ...Thomas Malthus''s essay on population.
托马斯·马尔萨斯有关人口的论文
3. 企图;尝试
If you essay something, you try to do it.
e.g. Sinclair essayed a smile but it could hardly have been rated as a success.
辛克莱想试着微笑一下，但根本没有笑出来。
noun
1. a tentative attempt
2. an analytic or interpretive literary composition
verb
1. make an effort or attempt
e.g. He tried to shake off his fears
The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps
The police attempted to stop the thief
He sought to improve himself
She always seeks to do good in the world
2. put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to
e.g. This approach has been tried with good results
Test this recipe