10

I'm trying to find a word to complete the following phrase:

The experiment went through several [blank]s prior to the final design.

I'm simply trying to say that the experiments went through several different designs; several different formats etc. Previously I had settled on the word incantations, although I now realise this is incorrect usage.

Any ideas?

Improve this question
5
  • 7
    Although incantations is incorrect in this context, incarnations (a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept) would have been perfectly valid. I think in some ways it could be better than revisions/iterations, since it implies each new version was a complete "rebirth", rather than a (possibly minor) variation on the previous one.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 11:38
  • Apparently, there's a severe dearth of recognizing a good question. 30 views, no up votes in over two hours. (Not as much enthusiasm as shown to quietly down vote and run.)
    – Kris
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 13:46
  • 1
    An "incantation" is the reciting of a magical spell, so unless the experiments are experiments in how to cast voodoo spells on your enemies or some such, "incantation" is indeed not the right word.
    – Jay
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 14:06
  • @FumbleFingers: Why not post that as an answer instead of a comment?
    – Alok
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 18:37
  • @Alok: I guess you're right. OP accepted SF's reassurance that his own iterations was valid here, but given he used the word "different" three times, arguably incarnations is actually better. So his acceptance notwithstanding, my alternative should be there for others to vote on.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 19:43

7 Answers 7

Reset to default
8

Although incantations is incorrect in this context, incarnations (a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept) would have been perfectly valid. I think in some ways it could be better than revisions/iterations, since it implies each new version was a complete "rebirth", rather than a (possibly minor) variation on the previous one.

Here are several hundred written instances of "went through several incarnations", many of which are very similar to OP's context. A typical one being...

The 4-inch-bore and 5-inch-stroke engine went through several incarnations as IHC struggled to get its problems resolved.

It really depends on whether OP wants to convey the impression that each different version was an incremental improvement on the previous version (in which case iterations works best), or that radical changes and redesigns were involved (in which case I think incarnations works best).

Improve this answer
2
  • This is the exact word I was looking for. I knew incantations sounded wrong!
    – CaptainProg
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 23:25
  • 2
    @CaptainProg: Ah. Well thanks for switching your "accept" tick then. As you probably noticed, I'd originally posted this as a comment because I assumed from the earlier tick against "iterations" that your were happy with that as an answer. I thought I was just trying to explain to you (and anyone else who was interested) why you might have thought of "incantations" in the first place. I'm thinking now that you must have had incarnations in the back of your mind all the time - you just got a couple of letters wrong!
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Oct 11, 2012 at 20:56
10

Iterations is the right word here, unless they were completely different. Iterations bear similarity between each other but are rarely identical. (In programming, iterations of a loop that runs a finite state machine are very different from each other in all parts that matter.)

Otherwise, it could be said the experiment went through several approaches, where the approach to the result was totally changed each time.

Improve this answer
6

How about the experiment went through several revisions prior to the final design?

(Or you could also just as easily say that the experiment went through several changes or variations as alternatives to that too)

Improve this answer
4

Try permutations. It implies a set of items in which each one is derived from an initial state with a specific change.

Improve this answer
3

if the experiment was constantly changing, how about using "evolutions"

Improve this answer
2

If what you are trying to say is that you had to do essentially the same experiment several times before you got it right, then "iterations" is a good choice. The word "iterations" carries the idea of repeating something. Multiple iterations are not necessarily identical, but they are similar.

If you are trying to say that you had to keep changing the experiment, as is rather implied by your phrase "final design", you might want to say that it went through many "revisions" or "versions" or "updates".

Improve this answer
1
  • +1 whats wrong with "versions"?
    – Mikey
    Commented Oct 10, 2012 at 23:32
1

If the designs were continually improving, you could use increments.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .