test

Definitions

1. noun

   A hard challenge that shows what you can do.

   Examples

   • The climb was a real test of his strength.
   • Facing the crowd was a test of her nerve.
2. noun

   A set of questions to check what you know.

   Examples

   • She studied hard for her chemistry test.
   • He passed the driving test on his first try.
   ≈examination
3. noun

   A check to see how well a product or system works.

   Examples

   • Engineers ran a stress test on the new bridge.
   • This is only a test of the alarm.
4. noun

   A standard set of tasks that measures a skill.

   Examples

   • She took an aptitude test for the job.
   • The test measures how well you read.
5. noun

   A long international cricket match.

   Examples

   • England won the last test by an innings.
   • He scored a century in his first test.
6. noun

   The hard outer shell of a sea urchin or sand dollar.

   Examples

   • The sea urchin's test had turned white in the sun.
   • She collected sand dollar tests on the beach.
7. noun

   A small dish used to heat metal and test its purity.

   Examples

   • The expert heated the ore in the test to separate the silver.
   • Gold was refined in a small test over the fire.
8. noun

   The outer coat of a seed.

   Examples

   • The bean's test cracked as it began to grow.
   • Farmers look at the test of the seed before planting.
9. noun

   Good judgment, in very old use.

   Examples

   • He was known among his friends as a man of test.
   • It takes test to tell good writing from bad.
10. verb

    To make something hard for someone or put pressure on it.

    Examples

    • Climbing the mountain tested our strength.
    • The exam tested every topic from the semester.