Es*sen"tial (&ebreve;s*s&ebreve;n"sjal), n. 1. Existence; being.
[Obs.]
Milton.
2. That which is
essential; first or constituent principle; as, the essentials of religion.
Es*sen"tial (&ebreve;s*s&ebreve;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.
Majestic as the voice sometimes became, there was forever in it
an essential character of
plaintiveness.
Hawthorne. 2.
Hence, really existing;
existent.
Is it true, that thou art
but a name,
And no essential thing?
Webster
(1623). 3. Important in the highest degree; indispensable to the attainment of an object;
indispensably necessary.
Judgment's more essential to a general
Than courage.
Denham.
How to live? -- that is the essential question for us.
H. Spencer.
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.
5. (Mus.)
Necessary; indispensable; -- said of those tones which constitute a chord, in distinction from ornamental or passing tones.
6.
(Med.) Idiopathic; independent of other diseases.
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.
Hear it pronounced