try 
(trī)
(trī)v. tried (trīd), try·ing, tries (trīz)
v.tr.
1. To make an effort to do or accomplish (something); attempt: tried to ski.
2.
a. To taste, sample, or otherwise test in order to determine strength, effect, worth, or desirability: Try this casserole.
b. To make an effort to open (a closed door or window).
3. Law
a. To conduct the trial of (a legal claim): to try a negligence case.
b. To put (an accused person) on trial.
4. To subject to great strain or hardship; tax: The last steep ascent tried my every muscle.
5. To melt (lard, for example) to separate out impurities; render.
v.intr.
To make an effort; strive: I know it's not easy, but keep trying!
n. pl. tries (trīz)
Phrasal Verbs: 1. An attempt; an effort.
2. Sports In Rugby, an act of advancing the ball past the opponent's goal line and grounding it there for a score of three points.
try on
1. To don (a garment) to test its fit.
2. To test or use experimentally.
try out
Idioms: 1. To undergo a competitive qualifying test, as for a job or athletic team.
2. To test or use experimentally.
try (one's) hand
To attempt to do something for the first time: I tried my hand at skiing.
try (one's) fortune
To make an effort or take a risk to be successful, especially as a newcomer.
[Middle English trien, to pick out, separate (right from wrong), test, attempt, from Old French trier, to pick out; akin to Provençal and Catalan triar, to pick out, of unknown origin.]
Usage Note: The phrase try and is commonly used as a substitute for try to, as in Could you try and make less noise? A number of grammarians have labeled the construction incorrect. To be sure, the usage is associated with informal style and strikes an inappropriately conversational note in formal writing. In our 2005 survey, just 55 percent of the Usage Panel accepted the construction in the sentence Why don't you try and see if you can work the problem out for yourselves?