test

¹

[ test ]

noun

1. the means by which the presence, quality, or genuineness of anything is determined; a means of trial.

   Synonyms: assay, proof

2. the trial of the quality of something:

   to put to the test.

3. a particular process or method for trying or assessing.
4. a set of questions, problems, or the like, used as a means of evaluating the abilities, aptitudes, skills, or performance of an individual or group; examination.
5. Psychology. a set of standardized questions, problems, or tasks designed to elicit responses for use in measuring the traits, capacities, or achievements of an individual.
6. Chemistry.
   1. the process of identifying or detecting the presence of a constituent of a substance, or of determining the nature of a substance, commonly by the addition of a reagent.
   2. the reagent used.
   3. an indication or evidence of the presence of a constituent, or of the nature of a substance, obtained by such means.
7. an oath or other confirmation of one's loyalty, religious beliefs, etc.
8. British. a cupel for refining or assaying metals.

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to a test of any kind; try.

   Synonyms: examine, prove, assay

2. Chemistry. to subject to a chemical test.
3. Metallurgy. to assay or refine in a cupel.

verb (used without object)

1. to undergo a test or trial; try out.
2. to perform on a test:

   People test better in a relaxed environment.

3. to conduct a test:

   to test for diabetes.

test

²

[ test ]

noun

1. Zoology. the hard, protective shell or covering of certain invertebrates, as echinoderms or tunicates.
2. Botany. testa.

test.

³

abbreviation for

1. testator.
2. testimony.

Test.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. Testament.

test

¹

/ tɛst /

noun

1. the hard or tough outer covering of certain invertebrates and tunicates
2. a variant of testa

test

²

/ tɛst /

verb

1. to ascertain (the worth, capability, or endurance) of (a person or thing) by subjection to certain examinations; try
2. often foll by for to carry out an examination on (a substance, material, or system) by applying some chemical or physical procedure designed to indicate the presence of a substance or the possession of a property

   to test for magnetization

   to test food for arsenic

3. intr to achieve a specified result in a test

   a quarter of the patients at the clinic tested positive for the AIDS virus

4. tr to put under severe strain

   the long delay tested my patience

5. test the water
   to make an exploratory or initial approach; sound out

noun

1. a method, practice, or examination designed to test a person or thing
2. a series of questions or problems designed to test a specific skill or knowledge

   an intelligence test

3. a standard of judgment; criterion
4. 1. a chemical reaction or physical procedure for testing a substance, material, etc
   2. a chemical reagent used in such a procedure

      litmus is a test for acids

   3. the result of the procedure or the evidence gained from it

      the test for alcohol was positive

5. sport See test match
6. archaic.
   a declaration or confirmation of truth, loyalty, etc; oath
7. modifier performed as a test

   test drive

   test flight

Derived Forms

• ˈtesting, adjective
• ˈtestable, adjective
• ˌtestaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• testa·ble adjective
• testa·bili·ty noun
• testing·ly adverb
• non·testa·ble adjective
• non·testing adjective
• self-testing adjective
• un·testa·ble adjective
• un·tested adjective
• well-tested adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of test¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: test(e), tast(e) “crucible; cupel,” from Old French “test, teste,” Latin testū, testum “earthenware pot”; akin to test ²

Origin of test²

First recorded in 1840–45; from Latin testa “tile, shell, covering”; akin to test ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of test¹

C19: from Latin testa shell

Origin of test²

C14 (in the sense: vessel used in treating metals): from Latin testum earthen vessel

Idioms and Phrases

see acid test ; put to the test .

Synonym Study

See trial.

Example Sentences

Notebooks can stand the test of time, and will be there for you when WiFi isn’t.

From Popular-Science

In France, for example, 4 percent of tests performed on people age 60 and older are now positive — a doubling from two weeks ago.

From Vox

Lots of websites online will let you plug your data in to run these tests for free.

From Science News For Students

Hindenburg’s report includes a test confirming that the section of road shown in the video could accelerate a coasting vehicle to highway speeds, along with text messages from a former Nikola employee appearing to confirm the tactics.

From Fortune

We repeated two different tests and every one of those individuals had a negative follow-up test.

From Freakonomics

The gentleman was listed as Orthodox and kosher, which is way too religious for my friend whose JSwipe account I was test-driving.

From The Daily Beast

Apparently, the company “failed to properly test its systems.”

From The Daily Beast

If it was the United States, the operation will test the bounds of international law.

From The Daily Beast

One chemical test involves measuring the relative amount of deuterium in water.

From The Daily Beast

Whether it was actual ignorance, senility, or some obscure test, it's hard to know.

From The Daily Beast

For this use of the voice in the special service of will-power, or propelling force, it is necessary first to test its freedom.

From Project Gutenberg

The most promising of the methods which have been devised are cryoscopy, the methylene-blue test, and the phloridzin test.

From Project Gutenberg

The phloridzin test consists in the hypodermic injection of a small quantity of phloridzin.

From Project Gutenberg

Should the vapor not condense well, the test-tube may be immersed in a glass of cold water.

From Project Gutenberg

It is at best an empirical test and must be interpreted in the light of clinical symptoms.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• analysis
• approval
• assessment
• attempt
• check
• evaluation
• experiment
• final
• inquiry
• inspection
• investigation
• search
• standard
• trial

More About Test

What is a basic definition of test?

A test is a series of questions or problems that is used to determine a person’s ability or understanding of something. More generally, test refers to a trial, experiment, or examination that is designed to determine the qualities or characteristics of someone or something. As a verb, test means to assess someone’s knowledge or abilities, to put someone or something through a trial, or to try something out. The word test has several other senses as a noun and a verb.

A test is a collection of questions, tasks, or problems that are designed to see if a person understands a subject or to measure their ability to do something.

Real-life examples: Most schooling involves taking tests in many subjects, such as math and history. Lawyers must do well on a particularly difficult test, known as the bar examination, to be able to practice law.

Used in a sentence: I studied all night for my chemistry test. 

Test can also be used in this context as a verb meaning to administer such a test.

Real-life examples: Teachers test their students’ knowledge by giving them quizzes and tests.

Used in a sentence: Yes, you will be tested on this.

As a noun, test also refers to an experiment or trial that is designed to discover information about something.

Real-life examples: Scientists and researchers create many tests (often called experiments) to learn new information or to see if a hypothesis is correct. A test of a chemical might involve how it reacts with other chemicals. Companies and businesses use safety tests to see if their products are safe for customers. A pregnancy test analyzes body fluids for hormones to determine whether someone is pregnant.

Used in a sentence: The scientists used several different tests to determine how much pollution was in the drinking water. 

Related to this sense, test can mean to put something through a trial or test or to try it.

Real-life examples: People often test products before purchasing them. When buying a car, you can test how it drives by taking it on a test drive. Testing a person often involves making them endure some kind of trial.

Used in a sentence: The boss is just testing you because you’re new—he wants to see if you can handle the pressure.

Where does test come from?

The first records of the word test come from around 1350. It ultimately comes from the Latin word testū, meaning “an earthen pot.”

In Middle English, test was used to refer to a cupel, a container used to analyze ores.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to test?

• testable (adjective)
• tester (noun)
• testing (continuous tense verb, noun, adjective)

What are some synonyms for test?

• examination
• trial
• experiment
• evaluation
• analysis
• examine
• try
• investigate
• assess
• analyze

What are some words that share a root or word element with test? 

• test-drive
• test-market
• acid test
• litmus test
• put to the test

What are some words that often get used in discussing test?

• math
• standardized
• safety
• taste
• results
• analyze

How is test used in real life?

Test is commonly used to refer to an academic exam. More generally, it refers to a trial that someone or something undergoes.

i got 57 on my biology test 😭

— mar ◟̽◞̽ᴴ owns mads’♡🤍 (@mariassnflwrlou) November 18, 2020

We are continuing to perform tests of possible solutions to restore missing currencies and materials to players. Destiny 2 will remain offline until the issue can be resolved. We will provide another update by 2 PM Pacific.

— Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) January 28, 2020

Scaling up can be tricky. To go from #SaaS start-up to industry leader, you need to move fast, test what works, and deliver more leads with campaigns.

See how @Thinkific is using @Unbounce #landingpages to grow like a dream SaaS business. https://t.co/9demdTU9B4 pic.twitter.com/nXaEPsOShO

— Charles Igbelokotor (@CIgbelokotor) December 14, 2020

 

 

Try using test!

Is test used correctly in the following sentence?

The company ran the new soap through many tests to make sure it didn’t cause skin irritation.