1. [n]  the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation
2. [n]  a venture at something new or different; "as an experiment he decided to grow a beard"
3. [n]  the testing of an idea; "it was an experiment in living"; "not all experimentation is done in laboratories"
4. [v]  to conduct a test or investigation; "We are experimenting with the new drug in order to fight this disease"
5. [v]  try something new, as in order to gain experience; "Students experiment sexually"; "The composer experimented with a new style"

Experiment
Experiment

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1. \Ex*per"i*ment\, n. [L. experimentum, fr. experiri to
   try: cf. OF. esperiment, experiment. See {Experience}.]
   1. Atrial or special observation, made to confirm or disprove
      something doubtful; esp., one under conditions determined
      by the experimenter; an act or operation undertaken in
      order to discover some unknown principle or effect, or to
      test, establish, or illustrate some suggest or known
      truth; practical test; poof.
            A political experiment can not be made in a
            laboratory, not determinant in a few hours. --J.
                                                  Adams.
   2. Experience. [Obs.]
            Adam, by sad experiment I know How little weight my
            words with thee can find.             --Milton.
   

2. \Ex*per"i*ment\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Experimented};
   p. pr. & vb. n. {Experinenting}.]
   To make experiment; to operate by test or trial; -- often
   with on, upon, or in, referring to the subject of an
   experiment; with, referring to the instrument; and by,
   referring to the means; as, to experiment upon electricity;
   he experimented in plowing with ponies, or by steam power.
   

3. \Ex*per"i*ment\, v. t.
   To try; to know, perceive, or prove, by trial experience.
   [Obs.] --Sir T. Herbert.