[f. TRY v.]
I. An act of trying, etc.
† 1. Naut. In phrase At try, a-try (see A-TRY), the position of a vessel lying-to in a storm; see TRY v. 17. Obs.
α. 1556. W. Towrson, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1589), 98. All the night [wee] laye at trie with much raine and foule weather.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Royal Navy, 12. We are forced to lye at trye with our maine Course and Missen.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., ix. 40. A storme let vs lie at Trie with our maine course, that is, to hale the tacke aboord, the sheat close aft, the boling set vp, and the helme tied close aboord.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. xviii. 80. Let us go and lye at Trie with our main Course.
β. 1558–89. A. Jenkinson, Voy. & Trav. (Hakl. Soc.), I. 96. There arose another great storme … and we lay a trie, being driuen farre into the sea.
1611–1867. [see A-TRY].
1676. Wood, Jrnl., in Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1694), 173. We lay a try under a Main-sail.
1729. Capt. W. Wriglesworth, MS. Log-bk. of the ‘Lyell,’ 22 Dec. At 5 Reefed our Courses, furled the Fore Sail, brought to, and lay a try under Main Sail.
† 2. A trial, a test. Obs. rare.
1607. Shaks., Timon, V. i. 11. Then this breaking of his, Ha’s beene but a Try for his Friends?
3. Joinery. The condition of being ‘tried’ to a perfect level; cf. TRY v. 8.
1678. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., iv. 65. If your work be hollow in the middle, you must Plain both the Bearing sides thinner, till they come to a Try with the middle.
4. An attempt, endeavor, effort. Chiefly colloq.
1832. Froude, in Rem. (1838), I. 322. Versification is out of my line, else I should have had a try at it.
1848. Mrs. Gaskell, M. Barton, xxvii. Don’t give it up … let’s have a try for him.
1890. Pall Mall G., 30 July, 2/2. The Emperor … succeeded at the first try.
1915. Asbury Park Press, 12 April, 10/4. The Yale team will make its annual pilgrimage to New York, and the [P]olo grounds will again resound with the applause that always greets the good old college try.
b. Rugby Football. The right of attempting to kick a goal, obtained by carrying the ball behind the goal-line and touching it on the ground. Cf. touch-down (TOUCH- 2).
1845. Rules Footb. Rugby School, § 5. Try at goal.… The ball when punted must be within, when caught without, the line of goal.
1880. Times, 12 Nov., 4/5. The efforts of a worsted side … to gain the goal or the ‘try’ which is required to make the match a tie. Ibid. (1893), 18 Dec., 10/3. The North were victors by two goals and two tries to three tries.
II. An instrument for trying.
† 5. A sieve or sifting screen. Obs.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 808/14. Panducsator cum suis implementis…. Hec falanga, a try.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 86. They will not passe thorough the holes of the sieve, ruddle, or trie, if they be narrow.
1644. G. Plattes, in Hartlib’s Legacy (1655), 201. Mingling Corn with great Beans, exceeding hard dryed on a Kiln, which may be separated easily with a wire Trie.
1804. Duncumb, Hist. Hereford., Gloss., Try, a wire screen for cleansing wheat from the chaff.
† 6. = TRYSAIL. Obs. rare–1.
1665–6. Adm. Crt. Exam., 22 March, 66. A maine course or try.
