sample

[ sam-puhl, sahm- ]

noun

1. a small part of anything or one of a number, intended to show the quality, style, or nature of the whole; specimen.
2. Statistics. a subset of a population:

   to study a sample of the total population.

3. a sound of short duration, as a musical tone or a drumbeat, digitally stored in a synthesizer for playback.

adjective

1. serving as a specimen:

   a sample piece of cloth.

verb (used with object)

, sam·pled, sam·pling.

1. to take a sample or samples of; test or judge by a sample.

sample

/ ˈsɑːmpəl /

noun

1. 1. a small part of anything, intended as representative of the whole; specimen
   2. ( as modifier )

      a sample bottle

2. Also calledsampling statistics
   1. a set of individuals or items selected from a population for analysis to yield estimates of, or to test hypotheses about, parameters of the whole population. A biased sample is one in which the items selected share some property which influences their distribution, while a random sample is devised to avoid any such interference so that its distribution is affected only by, and so can be held to represent, that of the whole population See also matched sample
   2. ( as modifier )

      sample distribution

verb

1. tr to take a sample or samples of
2. music
   1. to take a short extract from (one record) and mix it into a different backing track
   2. to record (a sound) and feed it into a computerized synthesizer so that it can be reproduced at any pitch

sample

1. In statistics , a group drawn from a larger population and used to estimate the characteristics of the whole population.

Notes

Opinion polls use small groups of people, often selected at random, as a sample of the opinions of the general public.

Other Words From

• inter·sample noun adjective verb (used with object) intersampled intersampling
• mis·sample verb missampled missampling
• re·sample verb (used with object) resampled resampling

Word History and Origins

Origin of sample¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Old French word essample. See example

Word History and Origins

Origin of sample¹

C13: from Old French essample, from Latin exemplum example

Synonym Study

See example.

Example Sentences

“The presence of microorganisms within space-returned samples, even those subject to stringent contamination controls is, therefore, not necessarily evidence of an extraterrestrial origin.”

From Salon

After months of sampling and seeking feedback from their network of make-up artists, they created their own range of brushes.

From BBC

Sediment samples were collected along the walls of the excavation units and sequenced for specific elements, such as nitrogen and carbon, to look for environmental changes over time.

From Science Daily

She continued to pursue the research and collaborate with Fitak and others to analyze the DNA samples and ultimately determine that Florida panthers are not especially susceptible.

From Science Daily

"We hope this novel eDNA sampling tool we have designed will help increase efficiency in invasive species management, allowing for early detection and rapid removal of nonnative species," she said.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• case
• fragment
• pattern
• piece
• sampling
• specimen