try

Etymology 1

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).

verb

1. To attempt; to endeavour. Followed by infinitive.
   I tried to rollerblade, but I couldn’t.
   I'll come to dinner soon. I'm trying to beat this level first.
   Skywalker: Alright... I'll give it a try. Yoda: NO! Try not! Do, or do not. There is no "try". 1980, Leigh Brackett et al., The Empire Strikes Back
   [Isaac Newton] was obsessed with alchemy. He spent hours copying alchemical recipes and trying to replicate them in his laboratory. He believed that the Bible contained numerological codes. 2014-06-21, “Magician’s brain”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8892
2. (obsolete) To divide; to separate.
   1. To separate (precious metal etc.) from the ore by melting; to purify, refine.
   2. (one sort from another) To winnow; to sift; to pick out; frequently followed by out.
      to try out the wild corn from the good
   3. (nautical) To extract oil from blubber or fat; to melt down blubber to obtain oil
   4. To extract wax from a honeycomb
3. To test, to work out.
   1. To make an experiment. Usually followed by a present participle.
      I tried mixing more white paint to get a lighter shade.
   2. To put to test.
      I shall try my skills on this.
      “So mousie shall only find tins on the floor now,” thought Miss Mapp. “Mousie shall try his teeth on tins.” 1922, E. F. Benson, Miss Mapp, p. 89
      Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. 2013 May-June, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, “Wild Plants to the Rescue”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3
   3. (specifically) To test someone's patience.
      You are trying my patience.
      Don't try me.
   4. (figurative, chiefly used in the imperative) To receive an imminent attack; to take.
      Mona: Try this vampire bolt on for size! Cedric: Why don't you try this alien bolt? 1999, Mona the Vampire, "The X-Change Student" (season 1, episode 6a)
   5. To taste, sample, etc.
      Calvin: What's this disgusting slimy blob? Dad: Try it. You'll love it. Jan 22 1986, Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes (comic)
      Oh, you need to try the soup of the day!
   6. To prove by experiment; to apply a test to, for the purpose of determining the quality; to examine; to prove; to test.
      to try weights or measures by a standard;  to try a person's opinions
   7. (with indirect interrogative clause) To attempt to determine (by experiment or effort).
      I'll try whether I can make it across town on foot.
      Sir, the doctors and apothecaries are the greatest thieves in the world; they are always trying which can rob their patients the most. 1785, James Ridgway, A Dictionary of Literary Conversation
   8. (law) To put on trial.
      He was tried and executed.
      I sit in front of the mirror and try myself. I am no impartial judge, otherwise I would have had myself executed several times over by now. 1987, Hadi Khorsandi, “It Didn’t Quite Work Out—2”, in Ehssan Javan, transl., The Ayatollah and I
      Sansa pretends to gather everyone in the great hall to try Arya, and at the last moment reveals she’s actually trying Littlefinger for murder and treason, although I think everyone in that room already knew what was going on except him. August 27, 2017, Brandon Nowalk, “Game Of Thrones slows down for the longest, and best, episode of the season (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club
4. To experiment, to strive.
   1. To have or gain knowledge of by experience.
   2. To work on something with one's best effort and focus.
      Dad, for God's sake, I'm trying my best!
      You are trying too hard.
   3. (obsolete) To do; to fare.
      How do you try! (i.e., how do you do?)
   4. To settle; to decide; to determine; specifically, to decide by an appeal to arms.
      to try rival claims by a duel;  to try conclusions
   5. (euphemistic, of a couple) To attempt to conceive a child.
5. (nautical) To lie to in heavy weather under just sufficient sail to head into the wind.
6. To strain; to subject to excessive tests.
   The light tries his eyes.
   Repeated failures try one's patience.
7. (slang, chiefly African-American Vernacular, used with another verb) To want
   I am really not trying to hear you talk about my mama like that.

noun

1. An attempt.
   I gave unicycling a try but I couldn’t do it.
2. An act of tasting or sampling.
   I gave sushi a try but I didn’t like it.
3. (rugby) A score in rugby league and rugby union, analogous to a touchdown in American football.
   Today I scored my first try.
   But two penalties and a drop-goal from Jonny Wilkinson, despite a host of other wayward attempts, plus a late try from Chris Ashton were enough to send a misfiring England through. October 1, 2011, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport
4. (UK, dialect, obsolete) A screen, or sieve, for grain.
5. (American football) A field goal or extra point
6. (chess) A move that almost solves a chess problem, except that Black has a unique defense.

Etymology 2

Probably from Old French trié.

adj

1. (obsolete) Fine, excellent.