Try Definition | Definition of Try at Dictionary.com

try

[trahy]

verb, tried, try⋅ing, noun, plural tries.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to attempt to do or accomplish: Try it before you say it's simple.

2.	to test the effect or result of (often fol. by out): to try a new method; to try a recipe out.

3.	to endeavor to evaluate by experiment or experience: to try a new field; to try a new book.

4.	to test the quality, value, fitness, accuracy, etc., of: Will you try a spoonful of this and tell me what you think of it?

5.	Law. to examine and determine judicially, as a cause; determine judicially the guilt or innocence of (a person).

6.	to put to a severe test; subject to strain, as of endurance, patience, affliction, or trouble; tax: to try one's patience.

7.	to attempt to open (a door, window, etc.) in order to find out whether it is locked: Try all the doors before leaving.

8.	to melt down (fat, blubber, etc.) to obtain the oil; render (usually fol. by out).

Archaic.

a.	to determine the truth or right of (a quarrel or question) by test or battle (sometimes fol. by out).

b.	to find to be right by test or experience.

–verb (used without object)

10.	to make an attempt or effort; strive: Try to complete the examination.

11.	Nautical. to lie to in heavy weather under just sufficient sail to head into the wind.

–noun

12.	an attempt or effort: to have a try at something.

13.	Rugby. a score of three points earned by advancing the ball to or beyond the opponents' goal line.

—Verb phrases

14.	try on, to put on an article of clothing in order to judge its appearance and fit: You can't really tell how it will look until you try it on.

15.	try out, to use experimentally; test: to try out a new car.

16.	try out for, to compete for (a position, membership, etc.): Over a hundred boys came to try out for the football team.

—Idioms

17.	give it the old college try, Informal. to make a sincere effort: I gave it the old college try and finally found an apartment.

18.

try it, that, etc., on, Chiefly British Informal.

a.	to put on airs: She's been trying it on ever since the inheritance came through.

b.	to be forward or presumptuous, esp. with a member of the opposite sex: She avoided him after he'd tried it on with her.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME trien to try (a legal case) < AF trier, OF: to sift, cull, of uncert. orig.

Synonyms:
1, 10. Try, attempt, endeavor, strive all mean to put forth an effort toward a specific end. Try is the most often used and most general term: to try to decipher a message; to try hard to succeed. Attempt, often interchangeable with try, sometimes suggests the possibility of failure and is often used in reference to more serious or important matters: to attempt to formulate a new theory of motion. Endeavor emphasizes serious and continued exertion of effort, sometimes aimed at dutiful or socially appropriate behavior: to endeavor to fulfill one's obligations. Strive, stresses persistent, vigorous, even strenuous effort, often in the face of obstacles: to strive to overcome a handicap.

Usage note:
10. Try followed by and instead of to has been in standard use since the 17th century: The Justice Department has decided to try and regulate jury-selection practices. The construction occurs only with the base form try, not with tries or tried or trying. Although some believe that try and is less formal than try to, both patterns occur in all types of speech and writing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To try

try (trī)

v. tried (trīd), try·ing, tries (trīz)

v. tr.

To make an effort to do or accomplish (something); attempt: tried to ski.
To taste, sample, or otherwise test in order to determine strength, effect, worth, or desirability: Try this casserole. Try the door.
Law
1. To examine or hear (evidence or a case) by judicial process.
2. To put (an accused person) on trial.
To subject to great strain or hardship; tax: The last steep ascent tried my every muscle.
To melt (lard, for example) to separate out impurities; render.
To smooth, fit, or align accurately.

v. intr.
To make an effort; strive.
n. pl. tries (trīz)

An attempt; an effort.
Sports In Rugby, an act of advancing the ball past the opponent's goal line and grounding it there for a score of three points.
To don (a garment) to test its fit.
To test or use experimentally.
To undergo a competitive qualifying test, as for a job or athletic team.
To test or use experimentally.

Phrasal Verb(s):
try on

To don (a garment) to test its fit.
To test or use experimentally.

try out

To undergo a competitive qualifying test, as for a job or athletic team.
To test or use experimentally.

Idiom(s):
try (one's) handTo attempt to do something for the first time: I tried my hand at skiing.

[Middle English trien, from Old French trier, to pick out, from Vulgar Latin *triāre.]

Usage Note: The phrase try and is commonly used as a substitute for try to, as in Could you try and make less noise? A number of grammarians have labeled the construction incorrect. To be sure, the usage is associated with informal style and strikes an inappropriately conversational note in formal writing. Sixty-five percent of the Usage Panel rejects the use in writing of the sentence Why don't you try and see if you can work the problem out between yourselves?

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Try

Try\, n. 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).

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.

2. To purify or refine, as metals; to melt out, and procure in a pure state, as oil, tallow, lard, etc. --Shak.

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. --Ps. xii. 6.

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. --Ps. lxvi. 10.

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.

Let the end try the man. --Shak.

4. To subject to severe trial; to put to the test; to cause suffering or trouble to.

Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased. --Milton.

5. To experiment with; to test by use; as, to try a remedy for disease; to try a horse.

Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me. --Shak.

To ease her cares the force of sleep she tries. --Swift.

6. To strain; to subject to excessive tests; as, the light tries his eyes; repeated disappointments try one's patience.

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.

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.

Left I the court, to see this quarrel tried. --Shak.

9. To experience; to have or gain knowledge of by experience. --Milton.

Or try the Libyan heat or Scythian cold. --Dryden.

10. To essay; to attempt; to endeavor.

Let us try . . . to found a path. --Milton.

To try on. (a) To put on, as a garment, to ascertain whether it fits the person. (b) To attempt; to undertake. [Slang] --Dickens.

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.

He first deceased: she for a little tried To live without him; liked it not, and died. --Sir H. Wotton.

Alack, I am afraid they have a waked, And 't is not done. The attempt, and not the deed, Confounds us. --Shak.

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.

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

Try

Try\, n. 1. A screen, or sieve, for grain. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] --Holland.

2. Act of trying; attempt; experiment; trial.

This breaking of his has been but a try for his friends. --Shak.

Try cock, a gauge cock. See under Gauge.

Try

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

Language Translation for : try

Spanish: intentar,

German: versuchen,

Japanese: やってみる

More Translations »

try

c.1300, "examine judiciously, sit in judgment of," from Anglo-Fr. trier (c.1290), from O.Fr. trier "to pick out, cull" (12c.), from Gallo-Romance *triare, of unknown origin. The ground sense is "separate out (the good) by examination." Meaning "to test" is first recorded c.1362; that of "attempt to do" is from early 14c. Sense of "to subject to some strain" (of patience, endurance, etc.) is recorded from 1539. Trying "distressing" is first attested 1718. Try-out "trial of skill or ability" first recorded 1903. To try (something) on for size in the fig. sense is recorded from 1956.

Main Entry: try
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: tried; try·ing
Etymology: Anglo-French trier to choose, sort, ascertain, examine judicially, from Old French, to choose, sort
1 : to examine or investigate judicially tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law —U.S. Constitution amendment VII> tried upon the facts without a jury —Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 52(a)>
2 : to conduct the trial of : put on trial tried is unable to perform the duties to be performed by the court after a verdict or finding of guilt —Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 25(b)>
3 : to participate as lawyer or counsel in the trial of : bring to trial on behalf of a client try death penalty cases>

Main Entry: Try
Function: abbreviation
tryptophan

Try abbr.
tryptophan

try

In addition to the idioms beginning with try, also see old college try. Also see under tried.

Try
tryptophan

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