(law) a way of dealing with offenders without imprisoning them; a defendant found guilty of a crime is released by the court without imprisonment subject to conditions imposed by the court; "probation is part of the sentencing process"
a trial period during which an offender has time to redeem himself or herself
a trial period during which your character and abilities are tested to see whether you are suitable for work or for membership
a primitive method of determining a person's guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under divine control; escape was usually taken as a sign of innocence
a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc.
an appraisal of the state of affairs; "they made an assay of the contents"; "a check on its dependability under stress"
a written report of the results of an analysis of the composition of some substance
a substance that is undergoing an analysis of its components
an analysis (often in graphical form) representing the extent to which something exhibits various characteristics; "a biochemical profile of blood"; "a psychological profile of serial killers"
a vertical section of the Earth's crust showing the different horizons or layers
a side view representation of an object (especially a human face)
represent in profile, by drawing or painting
write about; "The author of this article profiles a famous painter"