Forms: 4–5 triour, 5 tryoure, 6 trior, tryar, 7 triar, 6– trier, tryer; in senses 2 and 4, also 6–8 triour, 7 tryor, 8–9 trior. [f. TRY v. + -ER1; in the early form triour, a. AF. *triour (-OUR) in legal use. Cf. F. trieur.]
1. One who examines and determines a cause or question; one who examines judicially; a judge.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 250. Þe triours alle þat caste, & put þer saw tille on.
1472. Coventry Leet Bk., 382. These persons folowyng be ordeyned & chosen to be triours within þis Cite to determyn variances betwixt parties within þis Cite as touchyng metes & bondes & Gutters & such oþer.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. Wks. 1724, II. 693. The almighty powers, whom I invoke as triers of mine innocency, and witnesses of my well-meaning.
1645. Ordinance, in Neal, Hist. Purit. (1736), III. 293. That certain persons be appointed Triers … to determine the validity of Elections.
1659–60. Free Parl.-Letany, iii. From Vow-breakers & King-tryers—Libera nos, Domine!
1809. T. Jefferson, Writings (1830), IV. 128. The testimony … is the more grateful, as proceeding from eye-witnesses and observers, from triers of the vicinage.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xi. To get old Gaffer Pinniewinks, the trier of witches,… to comprehend Wayland Smith.
1821–30. Ld. Cockburn, Mem., ii. (1874), 101. A dexterous and practical trier of ordinary cases.
1885. Dixon, Hist. Ch. Eng., III. 377. The bishop himself was to be the chief trier.
2. pl. Two persons appointed by a court of law to determine whether a challenge made to the panel of jurors, or to any of them, is well founded.
[a. 1377. Rolls of Parlt., II. 400/1. Sur quele chose furent esleuz Triours par la Court, qe disoient qe le Viscounte fust eidaunt et bien voillant a la partie du dit Evesqe.]
1511. in W. H. Turner, Sel. Rec. Oxford (1880), 4. He commawnded the ij tryarse in the King’s name to tell Hullys parte owt of the dore [of the gildhall].
c. 1570. Pride & Lowl. (1841), 18. Ye shall have triers two or three, That shall judge of their [jurymen’s] indifferencie.
1665. Ever, Tryals per Pais, ix. 128. When any challenge is made to the Polls, two tryors shall be appointed by the Court, and if they try one indifferent, and he be sworn, then he and the two tryors shall try another.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. xxiii. 363.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., II. iii. 354. Two triers appointed by the Court.
3. Hist. pl. A committee appointed by the King to determine to which court petitions should be referred, and if necessary, to report them to the parliament. The practice was disused in 1886.
[1332. Rolls of Parlt., II. 68/1. Ibid. (1485), VI. 268/1. Et sount assignez Triours des Petitiones de Gascoigne, et d’autres Terres et Paiis de par dela, et des Isles [names follow].]
1844. T. E. May, Treat. Parl., xix. 301. Receivers and triers of petitions were appointed…. The triers were committees of prelates, peers, and judges [etc.]…. By them the petitions were examined…. The functions of receivers and triers of petitions have long since given way to the immediate authority of Parliament at large.
1878. Stubbs, Const. Hist., § 757, III. xx. 452. As soon as the opening speech of the chancellor was ended, the names of the receivers and triers of petitions were read by the clerk of the crown. The receivers were clerks or masters in chancery; the triers were selected by the king from the list of the lords spiritual, the lords temporal, and the justices.
[1886. Jrnls. Ho. Lords, CXVIII. 19/2. Les Triours des Petitions, etc. as in 1485.]
4. pl. Members of the House of Lords sitting as a jury at the trial of a peer for treason or felony. In full, lords triers.
1539. Act 31 Hen. VIII., c. 10 § 9. Peres that shalbe called hereafter to be triours of suche treasons.
1596. Warner, Alb. Eng., X. lvi. (1612), 246. These Noble Tryers, iustly then examining the Cause.
1676. C. Hatton, in Hatton Corr. (Camden), 134. Ther were 31 Lords tryers present.
1794. Burke, Rep. Lords’ Jrnls., Wks. 1842, II. 607. A course of precedents, in a legal court, composed of a peer for judge, and peers for triers.
1831. Mackintosh, Hist. Eng., II. vii. 198. Queen Anne and her brother Rochford were tried … before the duke of Norfolk,… assisted by twenty-six ‘lords triers,’ who in some degree performed the functions of jurors in this tribunal.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 39. The high steward was sole judge of the law; and the lords triers formed merely a jury to pronounce on the question of fact. Jeffreys was appointed high steward. Ibid. (1855), xviii. IV. 158. The Lords insisted that every peer should be entitled to be a Trier. The Commons were with difficulty induced to consent that the number of Triers should never be less than thirty six.
5. Church Hist. One of a body of commissioners appointed in 1654 ‘for the approbation of all public preachers and lecturers before their admission to benefices.’ Also transf.
1655. Clarke Pap. (Camden), III. 53. His Highnesse … left Mr. Cordwell, the minister, to bee concluded by the Tryers of London.
1657. [see EJECTOR 1].
1664. Butler, Hud., II. II. 813. And do they not as Triers sit To judge what Officers are fit?
a. 1691. Baxter, in Reliq. (1696), 72.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., I. 861. Afterwards he enjoyed two livings successively without examination by the Tryers.
1808. W. Wilson, Hist. Dissent. Ch., I. 471. The Commissioners were in all thirty-eight … and were commonly known by the name of Tryers.
1862. Vaughan, Nonconformity, 186. The number of ministers ejected by the Triers was considerable.
6. An umpire in sports or games. Now dial.
1607. Markham, Caval., III. (1617), 79. These Tryers are certaine indifferent Gentlemen, chosen by both the parties that make the match, who are to see that there be faire play, and that the Articles be fully performed on both parties.
1747. J. Relph, Poems, 16. At spworts, if I was trier.
1826. Sporting Mag., XVIII. 321. A trier, or stickler as he is commonly called, is an umpire.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Trier, the umpire at a wrestling, cudgel-playing, or any other match.
7. One who or that which tests or proves something; a prover; a tester or test.
a. 1483. Liber Niger Edw. IV., in Househ. Ord. (1790), 75. This seyde sergeaunt, or the yoman tryoure, or the groome tryoure,… dayly to be redye in the hall.
1538. Elyot, Spectatores, beholders, triers of money.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks. (1861), 169. Of good and bad the tryers are these twain.
1552. Huloet, Tryers, comprobatores.
1607. Shaks., Cor., IV. i. 4. You were vs’d To say, Extreamities was the trier of spirits.
1610. Bp. Carleton, Jurisd., Pref. When it was examined by vnskilfull and deceitfull triars,… taking vpon them to be triars of truth.
1712. Budgell, Spect., No 307, ¶ 7. There should be certain Triers or Examiners … to inspect the Genius of every particular Boy.
1760. Cautions to Officers of Army, 162. There was formerly in the Army, particularly in Queen Ann’s Time, a Sett of Officers in most Corps, who were called Provers, or Tryers; these upon a young Officer’s joining the Regiment,… without any Cause picked a Quarrel with him: when, if the young Man acquitted himself with Honour, and escaped with Life, he passed the Rest of his Time quietly enough.
1796. Capt. Bowen, in Naval Chron., XXIII. 368. I ordered one gun to be fired, as a trier of her intention.
1817–8. Cobbett, Resid. U. S. (1822), 98. They are the best of triers. Whatever they prefer is sure to be the richest thing within their reach.
1869. Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. lxxiii. 21. God is frequently called … the Trier of the hearts and reins.
8. One who (or that which) tries out or separates (metal, honey, grain, oil, etc.) from impurities.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccccii. 699. They set but lytell by the manassyng of a sonne of a tryer of hony.
a. 1637. B. Jonson, Eupheme’s Mind, vii. Disdaining any tryer, ’Tis got where it can try the fire.
1725. Phil. Trans., XXXIII. 262. The Triers, that open them [whales] when dead,… never observed any Grass, Fish, or any other Sort of Food in the right or Whalebone Whale.
1869. Lonsdale Gloss., Trier, a corn-screen.
† 9. One who finds out or tries to find out by search or examination. Obs.
1547–64. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), 65. Law is the finder & trier out of truth.
1563. Foxe, A. & M., 1297/1. Mayster Thomas Bilney … a trier out of Sathans subtleties.
b. spec. (See quot.)
1778. Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2), s.v. Youle, Youle, York, E. Rid. … Here are a sort of people, called triers, who with a long piece of iron search into the soft boggy ground hereabouts for subterraneous trees.
10. One who tries or attempts to do something; in Cricket slang, a player who perseveres in trying to win.
1891. in Cent. Dict.
1897. Daily News, 28 July, 11/5. He trusted they would remember that even when the eleven did badly they were always tryers.
1903. Daily Chron., 24 Feb., 3/2. Mr. Bernard Capes may be described, in the language of the cricket-field, as ‘a great try-er.’
11. a. Something devised to try or test quality. b. Something that is trying or difficult, or that tries one’s patience or mettle.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), VIII. 238/1. Though the common powder-triers may show powder to be better than it really is, they can never make it appear to be worse than it is.
1893. Field, 11 Feb., 187/2. The district being a trier, many and various were the mishaps.
1901. U.S. Dept. Agric., Year-bk., 237. These samples are drawn by means of a ‘trier,’ or clover-seed sampler, which is thrust through the bag, allowing the seed to run out at the open end of the trier.
12. Trier on, one who ‘tries on’ garments in order to test the fit; spec. an assistant to a clothier or dressmaker who helps customers to try on garments, or who displays their style by wearing them (= MODEL sb. 11 b).
1895. Blackw. Mag., April, 557. The girl bethought herself of the ‘tryer-on’ [cf. above ‘a young woman, discharging in perfection her function of wearing clothes so skilfully as to tempt buyers with them’].
1900. Westm. Gaz., 12 Jan., 5/3. The ‘tryers-on’ … had spent nearly four hours in hard work.
