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 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" [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}]