To make an effort to do something, or to test or use something to see if it works.
From Old French *trier* “to pick out, sift, test,” perhaps from Late Latin *tritare* “to rub, wear away.” It shifted from testing quality to making an effort in general.
Hidden inside *try* is the idea of testing—of seeing what survives the sift. Every attempt, even a failure, is a tiny experiment where you learn what doesn’t work and keep what does.
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