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

China has announced a sample return mission of its own to launch in 2028 or 2030.

From Los Angeles Times

This is the third round of layoffs at JPL this year, a reduction spurred primarily by major budgetary cuts to the Mars Sample Return mission, which is managed by JPL.

From Los Angeles Times

Last year was a crisis point for Mars Sample Return, whose goal is to fetch rocks from the Red Planet’s Jezero crater and bring them back to Earth for study.

From Los Angeles Times

A sobering independent review two months later determined there was “near zero probability” of Mars Sample Return making its proposed 2028 launch date, and “no credible” way to fulfill the mission within its current budget.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s nowhere else, for instance, one can sample a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” game and take part in the live-action role-playing game “The Apple Avenue Detective Agency.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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