Test | Mean of test in English Dictionary

/ˈtɛst/

• Noun
• a set of questions or problems that are designed to measure a person's knowledge, skills, or abilities
1. She is studying for her math/spelling/history test.
2. I passed/failed/flunked my biology test.
3. The teacher sat at his desk grading tests.
4. a driver's/driving test [=a test that is used to see if someone is able to safely drive a car]
5. an IQ test
6. test questions
7. The test will be on [=the questions on the test will be about] the first three chapters of the book.
8. We took/had a test on European capitals. = (Brit) We did a test on European capitals.
9. The college relies on test scores in its admissions process.
• a careful study of a part of the body or of a substance taken from the body
1. The test showed/revealed a problem with your liver function.
2. a vision/hearing test [=a test that shows how well you see/hear]
3. a urine test [=a test that examines a person's urine for evidence of disease or illegal drugs]
4. allergy tests [=tests that show what you are allergic to]
5. All applicants must pass a drug test. [=a test that examines a person's blood or urine for evidence of illegal drugs]
6. The doctor will call you with the test results.
7. They went to the drug store to buy a pregnancy test. [=a device that reacts to a woman's urine in a way that shows whether or not she is pregnant]
8. a DNA test [=a test that examines DNA and that is used to identify someone or to show that people are relatives]
• a careful study of a small amount of water, soil, air, etc., in order to see if its quality is good, to find out if it contains a dangerous substance, etc.
1. The test indicated high levels of lead in the soil.
2. routine water tests

• a planned and usually controlled act or series of acts that is done to learn something, to see if something works properly, etc.
1. lab/laboratory tests
2. underground nuclear tests
3. a test of a new vaccine
4. Taste tests revealed that people prefer this brand of cola over that one.
5. As participants in the sleep study, test subjects will be kept awake for 18 hours.
6. The effects of the drug were clear when the test group was compared with the control group.
• something (such as a difficult situation or task) that shows how strong or skilled someone or something is
1. a test of will/strength/character
2. The real/true test of your ability as a skier is whether you can ski well on very hard snow.
• to cause (someone or something) to be in a situation that shows how strong, good, etc., that person or thing really is
1. The team has been playing well so far, but tomorrow's game will really put them to the test. [=will really test them]
2. A trip through the desert will put the truck to the test.
3. We decided to put the idea/theory to the test [=to test the theory] with a little experiment.
• to continue to be important, respected, etc., for a long period of time
1. Great art/literature/music can stand the test of time.
• Verb
• to use a set of questions or problems to measure someone's skills, knowledge, or abilities
1. Weekly quizzes will test your understanding of the material.
2. The students will all be tested again at the end of the school year.
3. The exam will test you on your understanding of basic grammar rules.
• to examine a part of the body or a substance taken from the body
1. The school nurse will be testing students' hearing next week.
2. They tested the campers for Lyme disease.
3. Blood samples from the animals are being tested for the presence of the virus.
4. Athletes competing in the tournament will be tested for illegal drugs.
5. The athletes knew that tournament officials would be testing for (the presence of) illegal drugs.
6. She tested positive/negative for AIDS.
• to examine a small amount of water, soil, air, etc., in order to see if its quality is good, if it contains a dangerous substance, etc.
1. The water gets tested regularly.
2. They will test the soil for traces of lead.
3. They will test for the presence of lead in the soil.
• to use (something) in a planned and usually controlled way in order to see if it works properly
1. Only one of the vehicles they tested performed well in wet conditions.
2. Researchers are currently testing (the safety of) the vaccine.
3. The vaccine has not been tested on humans yet.
4. We designed a series of experiments to test our hypothesis.
• to show how strong, good, etc., someone or something is in a difficult situation
1. The stress is testing the strength of our relationship.
2. The scandal is testing the country's faith in its leadership.
3. Life's ordeals test us.
4. You're testing my patience. [=you are starting to make me annoyed or upset]
• to do something to find out if people like or approve a possible plan, product, etc., so that you can make a decision about it
1. The company is testing the waters with a new online version of the product.
2. She's testing the waters for a presidential bid.