"essences" in the noun sense
1. kernel, substance, core, center, centre, essence, gist, heart, heart and soul, inwardness, marrow, meat, nub, pith, sum, nitty-gritty
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"
2. essence
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. effect, essence, burden, core, gist
the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work
4. perfume, essence
a toiletry that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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