try

Meaning

Verb

1. To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive.
2. (obsolete) To divide; to separate.
3. (obsolete) To divide; to separate.
4. (obsolete) To divide; to separate.
5. (obsolete) To divide; to separate.
6. To test, to work out.
7. To test, to work out.
8. To test, to work out.
9. To test, to work out.
10. To test, to work out.
11. To test, to work out.
12. To test, to work out.
13. To test, to work out.
14. To experiment, to strive.
15. To experiment, to strive.
16. (obsolete) To experiment, to strive.
17. To experiment, to strive.
18. To experiment, to strive.
19. To lie to in heavy weather under just sufficient sail to head into the wind.
20. To strain; to subject to excessive tests.
21. (slang) To want, to desire.

Noun

1. An attempt.
2. An act of tasting or sampling.
3. A score in rugby league and rugby union, analogous to a touchdown in American football.
4. (obsolete) A screen, or sieve, for grain.
5. A field goal or extra point
6. A move that almost solves a chess problem, except that Black has a unique defense.
7. A block of code that may trigger exceptions the programmer expects to catch, usually demarcated by the keyword try.

Adj

Fine, excellent.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tɹaɪ/

Etymology

From Middle English trien (“to try a legal case”), from Anglo-Norman trier (“to try a case”), Old French trier (“to choose, pick out or separate from others, sift, cull”), of uncertain origin. It is probably related to Italian tritare (“to grind; to sort; to analyze”) (see also French trier). Alternatively, believed to be a metathetic variation of Old French tirer (“to pull out, snatch”), from Gothic 𐍄𐌹𐍂𐌰𐌽 (tiran, “to tear away, remove”), from Proto-Germanic *teraną (“to tear, tear apart”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to tear, tear apart”), see tear. Related to Occitan triar (“to pick out, choose from among others”), although the Occitan verb could also be a borrowing from French. Alternatively or by confluence, the Old French is from Gallo-Roman Vulgar Latin *triare, of unknown origin.
Replaced native Middle English cunnen (“to try”) (from Old English cunnian), Middle English fandien (“to try, prove”) (from Old English fandian), and Middle English costnien (“to try, tempt, test”) (from Old English costnian).

Sentences

Try to make eye contact with a stranger on the bus , and hold it for five seconds , without speaking .

Marge and Lisa try to pry them apart .