From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtrial runˌtrial ˈrun noun [countable] TEST/EXPERIMENTan occasion when you test a new method or system to see if it works well This year is something of a trial run for the new service.
Examples from the Corpus
trial run• But after a trial run, what do her passengers think of the ride?• Use a smooth four-ply yarn and you can attach it to an old test piece for a trial run.• Thursday dawned crisp and sunny, perfect weather for a trial run, but I still chickened out!• The airline's new check-in system will be given a trial run this weekend.• Cherrie advises against leading edge technology and even with what is regarded as a technological winner he recommends a trial run.• After hearing of the consumer law from friends, Mr Wang decided to stage a trial run.• Because this was the contraption's trial run, it was to be driven manually by turning the big wheel.• The web site proved to be a bit bulky and tough to maneuver during a weeknight trial run... 