experiment

[n. ik-sper-uh-muh nt; v. ek-sper-uh-ment] /n. ɪkˈspɛr ə mənt; v. ɛkˈspɛr əˌmɛnt/
noun
1.
a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc.:
a chemical experiment; a teaching experiment; an experiment in living.
2.
the conducting of such operations; experimentation:
a product that is the result of long experiment.
3.
Obsolete, experience.
verb (used without object)
4.
to try or test, especially in order to discover or prove something:
to experiment with a new procedure.
Origin
1325-75; Middle English: proof < Latin experīmentum. See experience, -ment
Related forms
experimenter, experimentor, experimentator, noun
preexperiment, noun
proexperiment, adjective
reexperiment, verb (used without object), noun
unexperimented, adjective
Synonyms
1. See trial. 2. research, investigation.
Examples from the web for experiment
  • Or consider this experiment, which is a direct test of precognition.
  • The experiment was designed to test the babies' ability to anticipate where the creature would appear based on the sound cues.
  • Have them develop a hypothesis about one of their questions and design a detailed experiment to test it.
  • Traditionally, a researcher postulates an idea, devises an experiment to test it and then reports the results.
  • He dreamed of an experiment involving the still-beating hearts of frogs that would test this theory.
  • Small laboratory experiment to investigate the fundamental physics of magnetic field line reconnection.
  • As part of the experiment, I always ask my students to write about being left in the technological cold.
  • Don't experiment with other varieties without expert guidance.
  • You will have to experiment to get the right combination of paint and powder.
  • This novel game encourages children to experiment with old auto parts and other junk items to build cars.
British Dictionary definitions for experiment

experiment

noun (ɪkˈspɛrɪmənt)
1.
a test or investigation, esp one planned to provide evidence for or against a hypothesis: a scientific experiment
2.
the act of conducting such an investigation or test; experimentation; research
3.
an attempt at something new or different; an effort to be original: a poetic experiment
4.
an obsolete word for experience
verb (ɪkˈspɛrɪˌmɛnt)
5.
(intransitive) to make an experiment or experiments
Derived Forms
experimenter, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin experīmentum proof, trial, from experīrī to test; see experience
Word Origin and History for experiment
n.

mid-14c., from Old French esperment "practical knowledge, cunning, enchantment; trial, proof, example, lesson," from Latin experimentum "a trial, test, proof, experiment," noun of action from experiri "to test, try" (see experience).

v.

late 15c., from experiment (n.). Related: Experimented; experimenting.

experiment in Medicine

experiment ex·per·i·ment (ĭk-spěr'ə-mənt)
n.

  1. A test under controlled conditions that is made to demonstrate a known truth, to examine the validity of a hypothesis, or to determine the efficacy of something previously untried.

  2. The process of conducting such a test; experimentation.

  3. An innovative act or procedure.

  4. The result of experimentation.

v. ex·per·i·ment·ed, ex·per·i·ment·ing, ex·per·i·ments (-měnt')

  1. To conduct an experiment.

  2. To try something new, especially in order to gain experience.

ex·per'i·ment'er n.
experiment in Science
experiment
  (ĭk-spěr'ə-mənt)   
A test or procedure carried out under controlled conditions to determine the validity of a hypothesis or make a discovery. See Note at hypothesis.