test

Definitions

Unlike the rest of this family, test does not come from testis (witness). It comes from Latin testum, an earthen pot — the small cup goldsmiths used to melt and assay metal to check its purity. The pot that 'tried' the gold became the word for any trial of quality, from a blood test to a test of character.

Why It Means This

Test is the odd one out in the testis family. The others descend from the Roman witness; test descends from testum, a goldsmith's assaying pot. To find out if metal was pure gold, you melted it in this little vessel — you 'tested' it. The pot's name became the act, and then anything that proves a thing's true quality: an exam, a lab procedure, a hardship that reveals character.

Common Collocations

• 1.take a test参加考试
• 2.pass a test通过考试
• 3.fail a test考试不及格
• 4.run tests做检测
• 5.blood test验血
• 6.put to the test经受考验

Example Sentences

• 1.

  We have a math test on Friday.

• 2.

  Engineers test every part before assembly.

• 3.

  The crisis was a real test of his leadership.

• 4.

  The new drug is still being tested on patients.