Full Idea
If a definition is the recognition of some essence, it is clear that such items are not essences.
Gist of Idea
Definitions recognise essences, so are not themselves essences
Source
Aristotle (Posterior Analytics [c.327 BCE], 90b17)
Book Reference
Aristotle: 'Posterior Analytics (2nd ed)', ed/tr. Barnes,Jonathan [OUP 1993], p.50
A Reaction
So definitions are not themselves essences (as some modern thinkers claim). The idea seems obvious to me, but it is a warning against a simplistic view of Aristotelian essences, and a reminder that such things are real, not verbal.