Essence

es′ens, n. the inner distinctive nature of anything: the qualities which make any object what it is: a being: the extracted virtues of any drug: the solution in spirits of wine of a volatile or e ential oil: a perfume.— adj. E en′tial , relating to or containing the e ence: nece ary to the existence of a thing: indispensable or important in the highest degree: highly rectified: pure.— n. something nece ary: a leading principle.— n. E ential′ity , the quality of being e ential: an e ential part.— adv. E en′tially .— n. E en′tialne . [Fr.,—L. e entia — e ens , -ent is , a umed pr.p. of e e , to be.]