n. & v.
n. 1 a critical examination or trial of a person's or thing's qualities. 2 the means of so examining; a standard for comparison or trial; circumstances suitable for this (success is not a fair test). 3 a minor examination, esp. in school (spelling test). 4 colloq. a test match. 5 a ground of admission or rejection (is excluded by our test). 6 Chem. a reagent or a procedure employed to reveal the presence of another in a compound. 7 Brit. a movable hearth in a reverberating furnace with a cupel used in separating gold or silver from lead.
v.tr. 1 put to the test; make trial of (a person or thing or quality). 2 try severely; tax a person's powers of endurance etc. 3 Chem. examine by means of a reagent. 4 Brit. refine or assay (metal). put to the test cause to undergo a test. Test Act hist. 1 an act in force 1672-1828, requiring all persons before holding office in Britain to take oaths of supremacy and allegiance or an equivalent test. 2 an act of 1871 relaxing conditions for university degrees. test bed equipment for testing aircraft engines before acceptance for general use. test card a still television picture transmitted outside normal programme hours and designed for use in judging the quality and position of the image. test case Law a case setting a precedent for other cases involving the same question of law. test drive a drive taken to determine the qualities of a motor vehicle with a view to its regular use. test-drive v.tr. (past -drove; past part. -driven) drive (a vehicle) for this purpose. test flight a flight during which the performance of an aircraft is tested. test-fly v.tr. (-flies; past -flew; past part. -flown) fly (an aircraft) for this purpose. test match a cricket or Rugby match between teams of certain countries, usu. each of a series in a tour. test meal a meal of specified quantity and composition, eaten to assist tests of gastric secretion. test out put (a theory etc.) to a practical test. test paper 1 a minor examination paper. 2 Chem. a paper impregnated with a substance changing colour under known conditions. test pilot a pilot who test-flies aircraft. test-tube a thin glass tube closed at one end used for chemical tests etc. test-tube baby colloq. a baby conceived by in vitro fertilization. testable adj. testability n. testee n.
[ ME f. OF f. L testu(m) earthen pot, collateral form of testa TEST(2) ]