Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin experimentum, from experiri; EXPERIENCE1

experiment

1 noun
     
ex‧per‧i‧ment1 S2 W2 [countable]
1 a scientific test done to find out how something reacts under certain conditions, or to find out if a particular idea is true
experiment with/in/on
experiments with alcohol-fuelled cars
experiments on sleep deprivation
experiment to test/see/demonstrate etc something
The researcher sets up experiments to test the hypothesis.
an experiment to assess the effect of stress on athletes
carry out/perform/do/conduct an experiment
Teachers are shown how to carry out many simple experiments.
by experiment
Many small birds guide themselves by the stars, as has been verified by experiment.
2 a process in which you test a new idea or method to see if it is useful or effective
experiment with/in/on
an experiment in state socialism
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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