pretest

[noun pree-test; verb pree-test]

noun

an advance or preliminary testing or trial, as of a new product.
a test given to determine if students are sufficiently prepared to begin a new course of study.
a test taken for practice.

verb (used with object)

to give a pretest to (a student, product, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to conduct a pretest: to pretest for consumer acceptance.

Origin of pretest

First recorded in 1945–50; pre- + test¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for pre-testing

pretest

verb (tr)

to test (something) before presenting it to its intended public or client

noun (ˈpriːtɛst)

the act or instance of pretesting

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

Word Origin and History for pre-testing

pretest

also pre-test, 1949 (v. and n.), from pre- + test.