Essence - Definition

n 1: the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some
idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's
argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party";
"the nub of the story" [syn: kernel, substance, core,
center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and
soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith,
sum, nitty-gritty]
2: any substance possessing to a high degree the predominant
properties of a plant or drug or other natural product from
which it is extracted
3: the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
[syn: effect, essence, burden, core, gist]
4: a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor [syn:
perfume, essence]