Try \Try\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. tried; p. pr. & vb. n.
Trying.] [OE. trien to select, pick out, F. trier to cull,
to out, LL. tritare to triturate (hence the sense of, to
thresh, to separate the grain from the straw, to select), L.
terere, tritum, to rub, bruise, grind, thresh. See Trite.]
1. To divide or separate, as one sort from another; to
winnow; to sift; to pick out; -- frequently followed by
out; as, to try out the wild corn from the good. [Obs.]
--Sir T. Elyot.
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2. To purify or refine, as metals; to melt out, and procure
in a pure state, as oil, tallow, lard, etc. --Shak.
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The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver
tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
--Ps. xii. 6.
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For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us,
as silver is tried. --Ps. lxvi.
10.
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3. To prove by experiment; to apply a test to, for the
purpose of determining the quality; to examine; to prove;
to test; as, to try weights or measures by a standard; to
try a man's opinions.
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Let the end try the man. --Shak.
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4. To subject to severe trial; to put to the test; to cause
suffering or trouble to.
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Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased. --Milton.
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These are the times that try men's souls. --Thomas
Paine (1776)
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5. To experiment with; to test by use; as, to try a remedy
for disease; to try a horse.
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Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me.
--Shak.
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To ease her cares the force of sleep she tries.
--Swift.
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6. To strain; to subject to excessive tests; as, the light
tries his eyes; repeated disappointments try one's
patience.
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7. (Law) To examine or investigate judicially; to examine by
witnesses or other judicial evidence and the principles of
law; as, to try a cause, or a criminal.
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8. To settle; to decide; to determine; specifically, to
decide by an appeal to arms; as, to try rival claims by a
duel; to try conclusions.
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Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried. --Shak.
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9. To experience; to have or gain knowledge of by experience.
--Milton.
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Or try the Libyan heat or Scythian cold. --Dryden.
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10. To essay; to attempt; to endeavor.
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Let us try . . . to found a path. --Milton.
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To try on.
(a) To put on, as a garment, to ascertain whether it fits
the person.
(b) To attempt; to undertake. [Slang] --Dickens.
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Syn: To attempt; endeavor; strive; aim; examine.
Usage: Try, Attempt. To try is the generic, to attempt is
the specific, term. When we try, we are usually
uncertain as to success; when we attempt, we have
always some definite object in view which we seek to
accomplish. We may be indifferent as to the result of
a trial, but we rarely attempt anything without a
desire to succeed.
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He first deceased: she for a little tried
To live without him; liked it not, and died.
--Sir H.
Wotton.
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Alack, I am afraid they have a waked,
And 't is not done. The attempt, and not the
deed,
Confounds us. --Shak.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Try \Try\, v. i.
1. To exert strength; to endeavor; to make an effort or an
attempt; as, you must try hard if you wish to learn.
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2. To do; to fare; as, how do you try! [Prov. Eng.]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Try \Try\, n.
1. A screen, or sieve, for grain. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
--Holland.
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2. Act of trying; attempt; experiment; trial.
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This breaking of his has been but a try for his
friends. --Shak.
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3. In Rugby and Northern Union football, a score (counting
three points) made by grounding the ball on or behind the
opponent's goal line; -- so called because it entitles the
side making it to a place kick for a goal (counting two
points more if successful).
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Try \Try\, a. [Cf. Try, v. t.]
Refined; select; excellent; choice. [Obs.] "Sugar that is
try." --Chaucer.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
try
n : 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" [syn: attempt, effort, endeavor,
endeavour]
v 1: 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" [syn: seek, attempt, essay, assay]
2: put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental
use to; "This approach has been tried with good results";
"Test this recipe" [syn: test, prove, try out, examine,
essay]
3: 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" [syn: judge, adjudicate]
4: take a sample of; "Try these new crackers"; "Sample the
regional dishes" [syn: sample, try out, taste]
5: examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process;
"The jury had heard all the evidence"; "The case will be
tried in California" [syn: hear]
6: give pain or trouble to; "I've been sorely tried by these
students"
7: test the limits of; "You are trying my patience!" [syn: strain,
stress]
8: melt (fat, lard, etc.) in order to separate out impurities;
"try the yak butter"; "render fat in a casserole" [syn: render]
9: put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks
nice; "Try on this sweater to see how it looks" [syn: try
on]
[also: tried]
WordNet (r) 2.0
177 Moby Thesaurus words for "try":
acid test, agonize, aim, annoy, appraise, approach, arbitrate,
aspire, assay, attempt, bear hard upon, bid, bid for,
blank determination, bolt, bother, bring to test, brouillon,
burden, chance, charge the jury, check, clarify, clear,
conduct a trial, confirm, contend for, crack, criterion,
crucial test, crucible, crucify, cut and try, dab, decrassify,
demonstrate, depurate, determination, distill, distress, docimasy,
edulcorate, effort, elute, endeavor, engage, essay, essentialize,
examine, excruciate, experiment, extract, feeling out, filter,
filtrate, first draft, fling, gambit, give a try, give a tryout,
go, go hard with, go ill with, harass, harrow, hassle, have a go,
hear, hold court, hold the scales, hope, inspect, irk, jab, judge,
kiteflying, leach, lick, lie on, lift a finger, lixiviate, load,
make an attempt, make an effort, martyr, move, offer, officiate,
oppress, ordeal, overburden, overload, pain, percolate,
play around with, pop, practice upon, probation, proof, prove,
pull for, purify, put to trial, rack, rectify, referee, refine,
research, road-test, rough draft, rough sketch, run a sample,
sample, screen, scrutinize, seek, separate, shake down, shot,
sieve, sift, sit in judgment, slap, sounding out, spiritualize,
stab, stagger, standard, step, strain, strain for, stress, strike,
strive, strive for, striving, stroke, strong bid, struggle,
struggle for, sublimate, sublime, substantiate, taste, tentative,
test, test case, torment, torture, touchstone, trial,
trial and error, trouble, try a case, try for, try it on, try one,
try out, umpire, undertake, undertaking, validate, venture,
venture on, venture upon, verification, verify, vex, weigh,
weigh down, weigh heavy on, weigh on, weigh upon, whack, whirl,
winnow, wring
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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