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Full Idea
Although a thing has only one essence, this can be expressed by several definitions.
Gist of Idea
One essence can be expressed by several definitions
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 3.03)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.294
A Reaction
See Idea 12976 and Idea 12977 for a view which seems to conflict with this. He seemed to imply that once you identify the essence, the definitions converge, with multiple definitions being symptomatic of imperfect ideas of things.
Related Ideas
Idea 12976 If our ideas of a thing are imperfect, the thing can have several unconnected definitions [Leibniz]
Idea 12977 We will only connect our various definitions of gold when we understand it more deeply [Leibniz]