| experiment |  |  | 
| n. (act) | 1. experiment, experimentation | the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation. | 
 |  ~ testing | the act of subjecting to experimental test in order to determine how well something works.; "they agreed to end the testing of atomic weapons" | 
 |  ~ trial and error | experimenting until a solution is found. | 
 |  ~ research project, scientific research | research into questions posed by scientific theories and hypotheses. | 
 |  ~ michelson-morley experiment | a celebrated experiment conducted by Albert Michelson and Edward Morley; their failure to detect any influence of the earth's motion on the velocity of light was the starting point for Einstein's theory of relativity. | 
 |  ~ control experiment | an experiment designed to control for variables affecting the results of another experiment. | 
 |  ~ control condition, control | a standard against which other conditions can be compared in a scientific experiment.; "the control condition was inappropriate for the conclusions he wished to draw" | 
 |  ~ experimental condition, condition | the procedure that is varied in order to estimate a variable's effect by comparison with a control condition. | 
| n. (cognition) | 2. experiment, experimentation | the testing of an idea.; "it was an experiment in living"; "not all experimentation is done in laboratories" | 
 |  ~ inquiry, enquiry, research | a search for knowledge.; "their pottery deserves more research than it has received" | 
 |  ~ pilot experiment | a preliminary experiment whose outcome can lead to a more extensive experiment. | 
 |  ~ test, trial run, tryout, trial | trying something to find out about it.; "a sample for ten days free trial"; "a trial of progesterone failed to relieve the pain" | 
| n. (act) | 3. experiment | a venture at something new or different.; "as an experiment he decided to grow a beard" | 
 |  ~ venture | any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome. | 
| v. (social) | 4. experiment | to conduct a test or investigation.; "We are experimenting with the new drug in order to fight this disease" | 
 |  ~ investigate, look into | investigate scientifically.; "Let's investigate the syntax of Chinese" | 
 |  ~ experiment, try out | try something new, as in order to gain experience.; "Students experiment sexually"; "The composer experimented with a new style" | 
| v. (social) | 5. experiment, try out | try something new, as in order to gain experience.; "Students experiment sexually"; "The composer experimented with a new style" | 
 |  ~ experiment | to conduct a test or investigation.; "We are experimenting with the new drug in order to fight this disease" | 
| try out |  |  | 
| v. (social) | 1. essay, examine, prove, test, try, try out | put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to.; "This approach has been tried with good results"; "Test this recipe" | 
 |  ~ pass judgment, evaluate, judge | form a critical opinion of.; "I cannot judge some works of modern art"; "How do you evaluate this grant proposal?"; "We shouldn't pass judgment on other people" | 
 |  ~ verify, control | check or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or comparing with another standard.; "Are you controlling for the temperature?" | 
 |  ~ float | circulate or discuss tentatively; test the waters with.; "The Republicans are floating the idea of a tax reform" | 
 |  ~ field-test | test something under the conditions under which it will actually be used.; "The Army field tested the new tanks" | 
| v. (creation) | 2. audition, try out | perform in order to get a role.; "She auditioned for a role on Broadway" | 
 |  ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. | 
 |  ~ perform | give a performance (of something).; "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" | 
 |  ~ read | audition for a stage role by reading parts of a role.; "He is auditioning for `Julius Caesar' at Stratford this year" | 
| v. (consumption) | 3. sample, taste, try, try out | take a sample of.; "Try these new crackers"; "Sample the regional dishes" | 
 |  ~ ingest, consume, have, take in, take | serve oneself to, or consume regularly.; "Have another bowl of chicken soup!"; "I don't take sugar in my coffee" | 
 |  ~ degust | taste with relish.; "degust this wonderful soup" | 
| test |  |  | 
| n. (cognition) | 1. test, trial, trial run, tryout | trying something to find out about it.; "a sample for ten days free trial"; "a trial of progesterone failed to relieve the pain" | 
 |  ~ experimentation, experiment | the testing of an idea.; "it was an experiment in living"; "not all experimentation is done in laboratories" | 
 |  ~ field test, field trial | a test of the performance of some new product under the conditions in which it will be used. | 
 |  ~ alpha test | (computer science) a first test of an experimental product (such as computer software) carried out by the developer. | 
 |  ~ beta test | (computer science) a second test of an experimental product (such as computer software) carried out by an outside organization. | 
 |  ~ road test | a test to insure that a vehicle is roadworthy. | 
 |  ~ trial balloon | a test of public opinion. | 
| n. (act) | 2. mental test, mental testing, psychometric test, test | any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or memory or intelligence or aptitude or personality etc.; "the test was standardized on a large sample of students" | 
 |  ~ mental measurement | a generic term used to cover any application of measurement techniques to the quantification of mental functions. | 
 |  ~ intelligence test, iq test | a psychometric test of intelligence.; "they used to think that intelligence is what an intelligence test tests" | 
 |  ~ personality test | any test that is intended to assess personality. | 
 |  ~ sub-test | one of a battery of related tests. | 
| n. (communication) | 3. exam, examination, test | a set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge.; "when the test was stolen the professor had to make a new set of questions" | 
 |  ~ communicating, communication | the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information.; "they could not act without official communication from Moscow" | 
 |  ~ bar exam, bar examination | an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.; "applicants may qualify to take the New York bar examination by graduating from an approved law school"; "he passed the bar exam on his third try" | 
 |  ~ comp, comprehensive, comprehensive examination | an intensive examination testing a student's proficiency in some special field of knowledge.; "she took her comps in English literature" | 
 |  ~ entrance exam, entrance examination | examination to determine a candidate's preparation for a course of studies. | 
 |  ~ final exam, final examination, final | an examination administered at the end of an academic term. | 
 |  ~ litmus test | a test that relies on a single indicator.; "her litmus test for good breeding is whether you split infinitives" | 
 |  ~ midterm exam, midterm examination, midterm | an examination administered in the middle of an academic term. | 
 |  ~ oral, oral exam, oral examination, viva, viva voce | an examination conducted by spoken communication. | 
 |  ~ preliminary exam, preliminary examination, prelim | an examination taken by graduate students to determine their fitness to continue. | 
 |  ~ quiz | an examination consisting of a few short questions. | 
 |  ~ exam paper, examination paper, question sheet, test paper | a written examination. | 
 |  ~ tripos | final honors degree examinations at Cambridge University. | 
| n. (act) | 4. test, trial | the act of undergoing testing.; "he survived the great test of battle"; "candidates must compete in a trial of skill" | 
 |  ~ attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour | earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something.; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" | 
| n. (act) | 5. run, test, trial | the act of testing something.; "in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately"; "he called each flip of the coin a new trial" | 
 |  ~ attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour | earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something.; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" | 
 |  ~ assay | a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc.. | 
 |  ~ clinical test, clinical trial | a rigorously controlled test of a new drug or a new invasive medical device on human subjects; in the United States it is conducted under the direction of the FDA before being made available for general clinical use. | 
 |  ~ double blind | a test procedure in which the identity of those receiving the intervention is concealed from both the administrators and the subjects until after the test is completed; designed to reduce or eliminate bias in the results. | 
 |  ~ preclinical phase, preclinical test, preclinical trial | a laboratory test of a new drug or a new invasive medical device on animal subjects; conducted to gather evidence justifying a clinical trial. | 
 |  ~ audition, tryout | a test of the suitability of a performer. | 
 |  ~ field trial | a test of young hunting dogs to determine their skill in pointing and retrieving. | 
 |  ~ try-on, trying on, fitting | putting clothes on to see whether they fit. | 
 |  ~ ministry of transportation test, mot test, mot | a compulsory annual test of older motor vehicles for safety and exhaust fumes. | 
 |  ~ pilot program, pilot project | activity planned as a test or trial.; "they funded a pilot project in six states" | 
 |  ~ snellen test | a test of visual acuity using a Snellen chart. | 
| n. (animal) | 6. test | a hard outer covering as of some amoebas and sea urchins. | 
 |  ~ covering, natural covering, cover | a natural object that covers or envelops.; "under a covering of dust"; "the fox was flushed from its cover" | 
| v. (social) | 7. screen, test | test or examine for the presence of disease or infection.; "screen the blood for the HIV virus" | 
 |  ~ check | make an examination or investigation.; "check into the rumor"; "check the time of the class" | 
| v. (communication) | 8. quiz, test | examine someone's knowledge of something.; "The teacher tests us every week"; "We got quizzed on French irregular verbs" | 
 |  ~ test | undergo a test.; "She doesn't test well" | 
 |  ~ examine | question closely. | 
| v. (stative) | 9. test | show a certain characteristic when tested.; "He tested positive for HIV" | 
 |  ~ be | have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun).; "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" | 
| v. (competition) | 10. test | achieve a certain score or rating on a test.; "She tested high on the LSAT and was admitted to all the good law schools" | 
 |  ~ test | undergo a test.; "She doesn't test well" | 
 |  ~ score | get a certain number or letter indicating quality or performance.; "She scored high on the SAT"; "He scored a 200" | 
| v. (communication) | 11. test | determine the presence or properties of (a substance). | 
 |  ~ ascertain, find out, learn, watch, determine, see, check | find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort.; "I want to see whether she speaks French"; "See whether it works"; "find out if he speaks Russian"; "Check whether the train leaves on time" | 
| v. (cognition) | 12. test | undergo a test.; "She doesn't test well" | 
 |  ~ submit, take | accept or undergo, often unwillingly.; "We took a pay cut" | 
 |  ~ quiz, test | examine someone's knowledge of something.; "The teacher tests us every week"; "We got quizzed on French irregular verbs" | 
 |  ~ test | achieve a certain score or rating on a test.; "She tested high on the LSAT and was admitted to all the good law schools" | 
| try |  |  | 
| n. (act) | 1. attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try | earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something.; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" | 
 |  ~ batting | (baseball) the batter's attempt to get on base. | 
 |  ~ best | the supreme effort one can make.; "they did their best" | 
 |  ~ worst | the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of.; "it was the worst he had ever done on a test" | 
 |  ~ activity | any specific behavior.; "they avoided all recreational activity" | 
 |  ~ bid, play | an attempt to get something.; "they made a futile play for power"; "he made a bid to gain attention" | 
 |  ~ fling, go, offer, whirl, crack, pass | a usually brief attempt.; "he took a crack at it"; "I gave it a whirl" | 
 |  ~ essay | a tentative attempt. | 
 |  ~ foray | an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence).; "scientists' forays into politics" | 
 |  ~ contribution, share, part | the part played by a person in bringing about a result.; "I am proud of my contribution in advancing the project"; "they all did their share of the work" | 
 |  ~ liberation | the attempt to achieve equal rights or status.; "she worked for women's liberation" | 
 |  ~ mug's game | a futile or unprofitable endeavor. | 
 |  ~ power play, squeeze play, squeeze | an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power.; "she laughed at this sexual power play and walked away" | 
 |  ~ seeking | an attempt to acquire or gain something. | 
 |  ~ stab, shot | informal words for any attempt or effort.; "he gave it his best shot"; "he took a stab at forecasting" | 
 |  ~ shot | an attempt to score in a game. | 
 |  ~ nisus, pains, striving, strain | an effortful attempt to attain a goal. | 
 |  ~ struggle, battle | an energetic attempt to achieve something.; "getting through the crowd was a real struggle"; "he fought a battle for recognition" | 
 |  ~ takeover attempt | an attempt to take control of a corporation. | 
 |  ~ trial, run, test | the act of testing something.; "in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately"; "he called each flip of the coin a new trial" | 
 |  ~ trial, test | the act of undergoing testing.; "he survived the great test of battle"; "candidates must compete in a trial of skill" | 
| v. (social) | 2. assay, attempt, essay, seek, try | make an effort or attempt.; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world" | 
 |  ~ pick up the gauntlet, take a dare | be dared to do something and attempt it. | 
 |  ~ act, move | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action).; "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" | 
 |  ~ struggle, fight | make a strenuous or labored effort.; "She struggled for years to survive without welfare"; "He fought for breath" | 
 |  ~ have a go, give it a try | make an attempt at something.; "I never sat on a horse before but I'll give it a go" | 
 |  ~ grope | search blindly or uncertainly.; "His mind groped to make the connection" | 
 |  ~ endeavor, endeavour, strive | attempt by employing effort.; "we endeavor to make our customers happy" | 
 |  ~ give it a try, give it a whirl | try.; "let's give it a whirl!" | 
 |  ~ adventure, gamble, run a risk, take a chance, take chances, chance, risk, hazard | take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome.; "When you buy these stocks you are gambling" | 
 |  ~ lay on the line, put on the line, risk | expose to a chance of loss or damage.; "We risked losing a lot of money in this venture"; "Why risk your life?"; "She laid her job on the line when she told the boss that he was wrong" | 
| v. (social) | 3. adjudicate, judge, try | put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of.; "The football star was tried for the murder of his wife"; "The judge tried both father and son in separate trials" | 
 |  ~ decide, make up one's mind, determine | reach, make, or come to a decision about something.; "We finally decided after lengthy deliberations" | 
 |  ~ court-martial | subject to trial by court-martial. | 
| v. (social) | 4. hear, try | examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process.; "The jury had heard all the evidence"; "The case will be tried in California" | 
 |  ~ probe, examine | question or examine thoroughly and closely. | 
 |  ~ rehear, retry | hear or try a court case anew. | 
| v. (emotion) | 5. try | give pain or trouble to.; "I've been sorely tried by these students" | 
 |  ~ anguish, pain, hurt | cause emotional anguish or make miserable.; "It pains me to see my children not being taught well in school" | 
| v. (emotion) | 6. strain, stress, try | test the limits of.; "You are trying my patience!" | 
 |  ~ afflict | cause great unhappiness for; distress.; "she was afflicted by the death of her parents" | 
 |  ~ rack | stretch to the limits.; "rack one's brains" | 
| v. (change) | 7. render, try | melt (fat or lard) in order to separate out impurities.; "try the yak butter"; "render fat in a casserole" | 
 |  ~ cookery, cooking, preparation | the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat.; "cooking can be a great art"; "people are needed who have experience in cookery"; "he left the preparation of meals to his wife" | 
 |  ~ melt, melt down, run | reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating.; "melt butter"; "melt down gold"; "The wax melted in the sun" | 
| v. (body) | 8. try, try on | put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks nice.; "Try on this sweater to see how it looks" | 
 |  ~ don, put on, get into, assume, wear | put clothing on one's body.; "What should I wear today?"; "He put on his best suit for the wedding"; "The princess donned a long blue dress"; "The queen assumed the stately robes"; "He got into his jeans" | 
| undertake |  |  | 
| v. (creation) | 1. attempt, set about, undertake | enter upon an activity or enterprise. | 
 |  ~ initiate, pioneer | take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of.; "This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants" | 
| v. (social) | 2. tackle, take on, undertake | accept as a challenge.; "I'll tackle this difficult task" | 
 |  ~ face, face up, confront | deal with (something unpleasant) head on.; "You must confront your problems"; "He faced the terrible consequences of his mistakes" | 
 |  ~ rise | exert oneself to meet a challenge.; "rise to a challenge"; "rise to the occasion" | 
| v. (communication) | 3. guarantee, undertake | promise to do or accomplish.; "guarantee to free the prisoners" | 
 |  ~ promise, assure | make a promise or commitment. | 
 |  ~ subvent, subvention, underwrite | guarantee financial support of.; "The opera tour was subvented by a bank" | 
| v. (communication) | 4. contract, undertake | enter into a contractual arrangement. | 
 |  ~ promise, assure | make a promise or commitment. | 
 |  ~ stipulate | make an oral contract or agreement in the verbal form of question and answer that is necessary to give it legal force. | 
 |  ~ sign | be engaged by a written agreement.; "He signed to play the casino on Dec. 18"; "The soprano signed to sing the new opera" | 
 |  ~ specify, stipulate, condition, qualify | specify as a condition or requirement in a contract or agreement; make an express demand or provision in an agreement.; "The will stipulates that she can live in the house for the rest of her life"; "The contract stipulates the dates of the payments" | 
 |  ~ lease, rent | let for money.; "We rented our apartment to friends while we were abroad" | 
 |  ~ charter, hire, lease, rent | hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services. | 
| v. (social) | 5. take in charge, undertake | accept as a charge. | 
 |  ~ consent, go for, accept | give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to.; "I cannot accept your invitation"; "I go for this resolution" | 
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