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}]
Source: WordNet® 2.0