heuristic

The Art of ChoosingのSenses and Sensibilityの章から引用します。
Rules of thumb like these usually serve us pretty will. They offer straightforward solution to common problems, helping us save time and energy that would otherwise be spent mulling over options and possible consequences. Though not foolproof, they're generally reliable, and they make our complex and uncertain world a little easier to understand. When we're exhausted from fighting temptation and overwhelmed by the demands of choosing well, it can be a relief to turn to these rules--known formally as heuristics--for answers.
"heuristic" はこれまでに何度か目にした単語ですが、ど忘れする単語でもあるのでこの際にしっかりと覚えたいので辞書で確認します。
・Oxford English Dictionary: Enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves: a "hands-on" or interactive heuristic approach to learning
いつも丁寧な説明がある私の好きな次の辞書も見ます。
・Vocabulary.com: A heuristic is a rule or method that helps you solve problems faster than you would if you did all the computing. It sounds fancy, but you might know a heuristic as a "rule of thumb."
Derived from a Greek word that means "to discover," heuristic describes a rule or a method that comes from experience and helps you think through things, like the process of elimination, or the process of trial and error. You can think of a heuristic as a shortcut. Besides finding it in philosophy books, if you are interested in computing, you'll find references to heuristic programming. You can use it as a noun or as an adjective.
覚えられたかな。名詞の場合は既に取り上げて（9/21/2010）覚えた"rules of thumb" や "trial and error" と同じ様なものなので、同時に連想できるようにしたい。