From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
trial
n 1: the act of testing something; "in the experimental trials
the amount of carbon was measured separately"; "he called
each flip of the coin a new trial" [syn: test, trial,
run]
2: trying something to find out about it; "a sample for ten days
free trial"; "a trial of progesterone failed to relieve the
pain" [syn: trial, trial run, test, tryout]
3: the act of undergoing testing; "he survived the great test of
battle"; "candidates must compete in a trial of skill" [syn:
test, trial]
4: (law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by
due process of law; "he had a fair trial and the jury found
him guilty"; "most of these complaints are settled before
they go to trial"
5: (sports) a preliminary competition to determine
qualifications; "the trials for the semifinals began
yesterday"
6: an annoying or frustrating or catastrophic event; "his
mother-in-law's visits were a great trial for him"; "life is
full of tribulations"; "a visitation of the plague" [syn:
trial, tribulation, visitation]