Dictionary.com
definitions

means-test

[meenz-test]
verb (used with object)
  1. to subject (a person or a specific benefit) to a means test: The government proposes to means-test Medicare.
verb (used without object)
  1. to perform a means test: fair and responsible means-testing.

Origin of means-test

1960–65

means test

noun
  1. an investigation into the financial position of a person applying for aid from public funds.

Origin of means test

First recorded in 1925–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for means-test

means test

noun
  1. a test involving the checking of a person's income to determine whether he qualifies for financial or social aid from a governmentCompare needs test
Derived Formsmeans-tested, adjective
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