tester
n. countablen. a small amount of a product, like perfume or makeup, that you can try for free before you buy it. It can also mean a person whose job is to check if something works correctly.
n. a sample of a product provided to consumers for trial; also refers to an individual or automated system that evaluates the functionality and quality of software or hardware.
I used a perfume tester at the store today.
The cosmetics counter provides a tester for every lipstick shade so customers can check the color against their skin tone.
Before the official launch, the lead software tester identified several critical bugs that would have compromised user data security during high-traffic periods.
From Middle English tester, from Old French testre, from Latin testura.
From Middle English tester, equivalent to test + -er.
For testern, teston, from French teston, from Old French teste (“the head, the head of the king being impressed upon the coin”). See tester (“a covering”), and compare testone, testoon.
Inherited from Middle English tester; see testiere.
Commonly used in retail contexts for samples and in technology for quality assurance roles.