acid test

noun

: a severe or crucial test

Examples of acid test in a Sentence

The new team faced its first acid test when it played the national champions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even though the Dead were more known for acid tests than their athletic prowess, Parish recalls that the Dead and their crew occasionally played baseball in the band’s early days. Alex Scordelis, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2024 The acid test is the twofold stake Washington has long articulated: that Afghanistan does not become a base for terrorism against the West, or a haven for destabilizing its neighbors. Stephen Biddle, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2011 The state now is trying to correct what went wrong, but the acid test will be how EDD performs when the next recession strikes. Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2024 Again, when she was done, the acid test: a flip of the switch and – voilà! – light. Robert Klose, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for acid test 

Word History

Etymology

so called from the use of nitric acid to determine the gold content of jewelry

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acid test was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near acid test

Cite this Entry

“Acid test.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acid%20test. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!