12 Terms for Tests and Related Expressions

12 Terms for Tests and Related Expressions 12 Terms for Tests and Related Expressions 12 Terms for Tests and Related Expressions By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between an acid test and a litmus test? Can you test-drive something that can’t be driven, or test-fire something that can’t be fired? Here are literal and figurative definitions of some phrases that include the word test. 1. Acid test: a chemical test used to distinguish gold from other metals; by analogy, a very important or intense test of character or performance 2. Alpha test: a test of an early version of a company’s software or hardware by company employees or by consultants 3. Beta test: a test of a beta, or revised, version of a company’s software or hardware by people outside the company (often, a sample of prospective customers) before it is finalized and generally released for sale 4. Litmus test: a test for acidity using litmus, an organic dye absorbed onto a medium called litmus paper that changes color when exposed to chemicals; by analogy, a test in which one component or factor determines the outcome, or the posing of a question whose answer indicates the respondent’s suitability, or lack thereof, for a position, or an action whose result determines whether one or more other actions should be taken 5. Test ban: a self-imposed prohibition of nuclear weapons testing by mutual agreement between two or more countries 6. Test bed: a vehicle used to test equipment; by analogy, any thing, place, or method for testing a product or an idea 7. Test board: a sample piece of cardboard or other packing material for testing strength or resistance to damage, or a console for testing electronics (also, an organization that administers academic examinations) 8. Test case: a legal or similar case pursued with the intent of establishing a precedent for similar decisions; by analogy, an action undertaken to determine the likely outcome for such actions 9. Test check: auditing of sample data (also, as a verb, test-check, to audit sample data) 10. Test drive: use of a vehicle to evaluate its performance; by analogy, evaluation of any device or of implementation of a policy or procedure (also, as a verb, test-drive, to test a vehicle or other device, or a policy or procedure) 11. Test fire: testing of a weapon to evaluate its performance (also called a firing test); by analogy, to introduce or launch a policy or product to determine how it will be received (as a verb, test-fire, to test a weapon or launch a policy or product) 12. Test market: a region or group selected for limited release of a product (also, as a verb, test-market, to make a product available on a limited basis to evaluate its appeal) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Cost-Effective vs. Cost-EfficientEnglish Grammar 101: Verb Mood20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel