field trial


noun
  1. a competition among sporting dogs under natural conditions in the field, in which the animals are judged on the basis of excellence of performance in hunting.

  2. a trial of a new product or procedure to determine its efficiency or usefulness in actual performance.

Origin of field trial

1
First recorded in 1840–50

Words Nearby field trial

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use field trial in a sentence

  • He told them stories of historic events in the field-trial game, and then sent them to bed.

    The Dogs of Boytown | Walter A. Dyer
  • Old field-trial fans told Mr. Hartshorn afterward that they had never witnessed a prettier contest than that one.

    The Dogs of Boytown | Walter A. Dyer
  • Romulus he mentioned favorably in passing, referring to his enviable field-trial record.

    The Dogs of Boytown | Walter A. Dyer
  • Romulus came to be pointed out to strangers as a coming field-trial champion, and Remus as a famous bench-show winner.

    The Dogs of Boytown | Walter A. Dyer
  • "We want to know what a field trial is, how it is run, and what the dogs do," said Ernest.

    The Dogs of Boytown | Walter A. Dyer

British Dictionary definitions for field trial

field trial

noun
  1. hunting a test of or contest between gun dogs to determine their proficiency and standard of training in retrieving or pointing

  2. (often plural) a test to display performance, efficiency, or durability, as of a vehicle or invention

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012