Result from Foreign Dictionaries (3 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Essential \Es*sen"tial\ ([e^]s*s[e^]n"sjal), a. [Cf. F. essentiel. See {Essence}.] 1. Belonging to the essence, or that which makes an object, or class of objects, what it is. [1913 Webster] Majestic as the voice sometimes became, there was forever in it an essential character of plaintiveness. --Hawthorne. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence, really existing; existent. [1913 Webster] Is it true, that thou art but a name, And no essential thing? --Webster (1623). [1913 Webster] 3. Important in the highest degree; indispensable to the attainment of an object; indispensably necessary. [1913 Webster] Judgment's more essential to a general Than courage. --Denham. [1913 Webster] How to live? -- that is the essential question for us. --H. Spencer. [1913 Webster] 4. Containing the essence or characteristic portion of a substance, as of a plant; highly rectified; pure; hence, unmixed; as, an essential oil. "Mine own essential horror." --Ford. [1913 Webster] 5. (Mus.) Necessary; indispensable; -- said of those tones which constitute a chord, in distinction from ornamental or passing tones. [1913 Webster] 6. (Med.) Idiopathic; independent of other diseases. [1913 Webster] {Essential character} (Biol.), the prominent characteristics which serve to distinguish one genus, species, etc., from another. {Essential disease}, {Essential fever} (Med.), one that is not dependent on another. {Essential oils} (Chem.), a class of volatile oils, extracted from plants, fruits, or flowers, having each its characteristic odor, and hot burning taste. They are used in essences, perfumery, etc., and include many varieties of compounds; as {lemon oil} is a terpene, {oil of bitter almonds} an aldehyde, {oil of wintergreen} an ethereal salt, etc.; -- called also {volatile oils} in distinction from the fixed or nonvolatile. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Essential \Es*sen"tial\ ([e^]s*s[e^]n"sjal), n. 1. Existence; being. [Obs.] --Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. That which is essential; first or constituent principle; as, the essentials of religion. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: essential adj 1: absolutely necessary; vitally necessary; "essential tools and materials"; "funds essential to the completion of the project"; "an indispensable worker" [syn: {essential}, {indispensable}] 2: basic and fundamental; "the essential feature" [ant: {inessential}, {unessential}] 3: of the greatest importance; "the all-important subject of disarmament"; "crucial information"; "in chess cool nerves are of the essence" [syn: {all-important(a)}, {all important(p)}, {crucial}, {essential}, {of the essence(p)}] 4: being or relating to or containing the essence of a plant etc; "essential oil" 5: defining rights and duties as opposed to giving the rules by which rights and duties are established; "substantive law" [syn: {substantive}, {essential}] [ant: {adjective}, {procedural}] n 1: anything indispensable; "food and shelter are necessities of life"; "the essentials of the good life"; "allow farmers to buy their requirements under favorable conditions"; "a place where the requisites of water fuel and fodder can be obtained" [syn: {necessity}, {essential}, {requirement}, {requisite}, {necessary}] [ant: {inessential}, {nonessential}]