tester
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of tester1
First recorded in 1655–65; test 1 + -er 1
Origin of tester2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English tester, testo(u)r, testir, teester “headpiece,” from Old French testiere “headpiece, head covering,” from Medieval Latin testerium, testrum, testura “canopy of a bed”; derivative of Vulgar Latin testa “head,” from Latin testa “earthenware jar; brick; tile”; see test 2
Origin of tester3
First recorded in 1560–70; earlier testorn, variant of teston, with -r- from Middle French testart “teston”
Explanation
When someone is a tester, they either administer tests or they assess the safety or function of a product. You might hope for an eventual career as a bubblegum tester. When you take a standardized exam, a tester will hand out papers and collect them when your time is up. And when you get a driver's license, a tester will ride along with you in the car during your road test. There's another type of tester that's a free sample, like a lipstick tester you can try on in a store. And an old-fashioned tester is the fabric canopy on the top of a four-poster bed.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Morningstar raises its fair-value estimate for Advantest by 3% to 35,000 yen after lifting its system-on-chip tester revenue estimate by 3%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Others affected by the fire include mechanic and MOT tester David Mills, who lost his entire collection of tools.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Another tester appreciated how easy it was to eat.
From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026
Also, I’m unashamedly looking forward to playing taste tester.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2024
Bake until a tester inserted in cake refuses to come out.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
