HEURISTIC

I. adjective Etymology: German heuristisch, from New Latin ~us, from Greek heuriskein to discover; akin to Old Irish fo-fúair he found Date: 1821 involving or serving as an aid to learning, discovery, or problem-solving by experimental and especially trial-and-error methods , ~ally adverb II. noun Date: 1860 the study or practice of ~ procedure, ~ argument, a ~ method or procedure