Try

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To purify or refine, as metals; to melt out, and procure
        in a pure state, as oil, tallow, lard, etc. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver
              tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
                                                    --Ps. xii. 6.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us,
              as silver is tried.                   --Ps. lxvi.
                                                    10.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Let the end try the man.              --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. To subject to severe trial; to put to the test; to cause
        suffering or trouble to.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased. --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              These are the times that try men's souls. --Thomas
                                                    Paine (1776)
        [PJC]
  
     5. To experiment with; to test by use; as, to try a remedy
        for disease; to try a horse.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me.
                                                    --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              To ease her cares the force of sleep she tries.
                                                    --Swift.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. To strain; to subject to excessive tests; as, the light
        tries his eyes; repeated disappointments try one's
        patience.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     9. To experience; to have or gain knowledge of by experience.
        --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Or try the Libyan heat or Scythian cold. --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     10. To essay; to attempt; to endeavor.
         [1913 Webster]
  
               Let us try . . . to found a path.    --Milton.
         [1913 Webster]
  
     {To try on}.
         (a) To put on, as a garment, to ascertain whether it fits
             the person.
         (b) To attempt; to undertake. [Slang] --Dickens.
             [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  He first deceased: she for a little tried
                  To live without him; liked it not, and died.
                                                    --Sir H.
                                                    Wotton.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  Alack, I am afraid they have a waked,
                  And 't is not done. The attempt, and not the
                  deed,
                  Confounds us.                     --Shak.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To do; to fare; as, how do you try! [Prov. Eng.]
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Try \Try\, n.
     1. A screen, or sieve, for grain. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
        --Holland.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Act of trying; attempt; experiment; trial.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              This breaking of his has been but a try for his
              friends.                              --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Try \Try\, a. [Cf. {Try}, v. t.]
     Refined; select; excellent; choice. [Obs.] "Sugar that is
     try." --Chaucer.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  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}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  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