The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Ps. xix. 7.
Syn. — Proof; evidence; attestation; witness; affirmation;
confirmation; averment. — Testimony, Proof, Evidence. Proof is the most
familiar, and is used more frequently (though not exclusively) of facts
and things which occur in the ordinary concerns of life. Evidence is a
word of more dignity, and is more generally applied to that which is
moral or intellectual; as, the evidences of Christianity, etc.
Testimony is what is deposed to by a witness on oath or affirmation.
When used figuratively or in a wider sense, the word testimony has
still a reference to some living agent as its author, as when we speak
of the testimony of conscience, or of doing a thing in testimony of our
affection, etc. Testimony refers rather to the thing declared, evidence
to its value or effect. "To conform our language more to common use, we
ought to divide arguments into demonstrations, proofs, and
probabilities; ba proofs, meaning such arguments from experience as
leave no room for doubt or opposition." Hume. "The evidence of sense is
the first and highest kind of evidence of which human nature is
capable." Bp. Wilkins. "The proof of everything must be by the
testimony of such as the parties produce." Spenser.
Tes"ti*mo*ny (?), v. t. To witness; to attest; to prove by testimony.
[Obs.] Shak.
Tes"ti*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being testy; fretfulness;
petulance.
Testiness is a disposition or aptness to be angry.
Locke.
Test"ing (?), n. 1. The act of testing or proving; trial; proof.
2. (Metal.) The operation of refining gold or silver in a test, or
cupel; cupellation.
Testing machine (Engin.), a machine used in the determination of the
strength of materials, as iron, stone, etc., and their behavior under
strains of various kinds, as elongation, bending, crushing, etc.
||Tes"tis (?), n.; pl. Testes (#). [L.] (Anat.) A testicle.
||
Tes"ton (?), n. A tester; a sixpence. [Obs.]
Tes*tone" (?), n. [Cf. Pg. testão, tostão. See Testoon.] A silver coin
of Portugal, worth about sixpence sterling, or about eleven cents.
Homans.
Tes*toon" (?), n. [It. testone. See Tester a coin.] An Italian silver
coin. The testoon of Rome is worth 1s. 3d. sterling, or about thirty
cents. Homans.
Tes*tu"di*nal (?), a. [See Testudo.] (Zoöl.) Of, pertaining to, or
resembling, a tortoise.
Tes*tu`di*na"ri*ous (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the shell of a
tortoise; resembling a tortoise shell; having the color or markings of
a tortoise shell.
||Tes*tu`di*na"ta (?), n. pl. [Nl. See Testudo.] (Zoöl.) An order of
||reptiles which includes the turtles and tortoises. The body is
||covered by a shell consisting of an upper or dorsal shell, called the
||carapace, and a lower or ventral shell, called the plastron, each of
||which consists of several plates.
||
{ Tes*tu"di*nate (?), Tes*tu"di*na`ted (?), } a. [L. testudinatus, fr.
testudo, - inis, a tortoise, an arch or vault.] Resembling a tortoise
shell in appearance or structure; roofed; arched; vaulted.
Tes`tu*din"e*ous (?), a. [L. testudineus.] Resembling the shell of a
tortoise.
||Tes*tu"do (?), n.; pl. Testudines (#). [L., from testa the shell of
||shellfish, or of testaceous animals.] 1. (Zoöl.) A genus of tortoises
||which formerly included a large number of diverse forms, but is now
||restricted to certain terrestrial species, such as the European land
||tortoise (Testudo Græca) and the gopher of the Southern United States.
||
2. (Rom. Antiq.) A cover or screen which a body of troops formed with
their shields or targets, by holding them over their heads when
standing close to each other. This cover resembled the back of a
tortoise, and served to shelter the men from darts, stones, and other
missiles. A similar defense was sometimes formed of boards, and moved
on wheels.
3. (Mus.) A kind of musical instrument. a species of lyre; — so called
in allusion to the lyre of Mercury, fabled to have been made of the
shell of a tortoise.
Tes"ty (?), a. [Compar. Testier (?); superl. Testiest.] [OF. testu
obstinate, headstrong, F. têtu, fr. OF. teste the head, F. tête. See
Test a cupel.] Fretful; peevish; petulant; easily irritated.
Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch Under your testy humor?
Shak.