1. (n.) The act of trying or testing in any manner.

2. (n.) Any effort or exertion of strength for the purpose of ascertaining what can be done or effected.

3. (n.) The act of testing by experience; proof; test.

4. (n.) Examination by a test; experiment, as in chemistry, metallurgy, etc.

5. (n.) The state of being tried or tempted; exposure to suffering that tests strength, patience, faith, or the like; affliction or temptation that exercises and proves the graces or virtues of men.

6. (n.) That which tries or afflicts; that which harasses; that which tries the character or principles; that which tempts to evil; as, his child's conduct was a sore trial.

7. (n.) The formal examination of the matter in issue in a cause before a competent tribunal; the mode of determining a question of fact in a court of law; the examination, in legal form, of the facts in issue in a cause pending before a competent tribunal, for the purpose of determining such issue.

Olympic games Olympics R and D acid test adverse circumstances adversity affliction aggravation agony anguish annoyance approach arrangement assay assize attempt audition bad luck bad news bane basic training bedevilment bid blank determination blight blue book bore bother botheration bothersomeness bout briefing brouillon bummer calvary care change of venue check checking clearing the decks complication concours conditional contest control control experiment controlled experiment court-martial crack crashing bore criterion cross cross-examination crown of thorns crucial test crucible curse cut and try cut-and-try deltoid derby determination determined devilment difficulties difficulty distress docimasy dogging downer drag dry run dual effort empirical empiricism encounter endeavor engagement enquiry equipment essay exam examen examination exasperation experiment experimental experimental design experimental method experimental proof experimentalism experimentation exploratory familiarization fan-shaped feeling out fiery ordeal fight final final examination first draft fixing fling foundation gambit game games go great go grief groundwork gymkhana harassment hard knocks hard life hard lot hard luck hard times hardcase hardship harrying hassle headache hearing heartbreak heuristic hit and miss hit-or-miss honors hounding inquest inquiry inquisition irritant irritation joust jury trial kiteflying lawsuit lick litigation makeready making ready manufacture match matching meet meeting midsemester midterm misery misfortune mistrial mobilization molestation move noble experiment nuisance number offer oral oral examination ordeal persecution pest pilot plague planning plight plural pragmatism prearrangement predicament prelim preliminaries preliminary preliminary act preliminary step prep preparation preparatory study preparing prepping prerequisite pressure pretreatment probation probationary probative probatory problem processing proof propaedeutic proving provision provisional quiz rally readying rencontre research and development resolute rigor rough draft rough sketch rule of thumb sample sea of troubles shot singular sorrow sounding out spadework stab standard step stress stress of life stroke strong bid suffering take-home examination tentative tentative method tentativeness test test case testing three three-in-one tilt touchstone tournament tourney training treatment triadic trial and error trial by jury trial run trial-and-error trials and tribulations triangular tribulation trinal trine triple triplex tripos triune trouble troubles