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.
Richard Doty, president of taste and smell tester company Sensonics International, said the scientific community hasn’t figured out why GLP-1s alter taste.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
As a key product tester for Bristol-based Smartbox, which creates technology to help people with disabilities to communicate, the company has now named its new testing laboratory Harchie's Lab.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
In 2022, we rode along with an early FSD beta tester.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
The discovery was made through the aid of a third-party forensic tester and a federal grant.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2025
Once, I went to a department store and used every single tester perfume on the counter, but it was still there.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
