I. ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt also -ˈspir- noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French esperiment, from Latin experimentum, from experiri
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : test , trial
make another experiment of his suspicion — Shakespeare
b. : a tentative procedure or policy
c. : an operation or procedure carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law, to test or establish a hypothesis, or to illustrate a known law
2. obsolete : experience
3. : the process of testing : experimentation
II. -ˌment intransitive verb
Date: 1787
: to carry out experiments : try out a new procedure, idea, or activity
• ex·per·i·men·ta·tion ik-ˌsper-ə-mən-ˈtā-shən, -ˌmen- also -ˌspir- noun
• ex·per·i·ment·er -ˈsper-ə-ˌmen-tər also -ˈspir- noun