sample
SAHM-puhl
Sample (noun) means a small portion of something given or shown to represent the whole. Example: “The tailor cut a sample of fabric so she could match the colour.”
noun
1
A small portion of something given or shown to represent the whole.
"The tailor cut a sample of fabric so she could match the colour."
"We handed out free samples of the new cereal at the supermarket."
"The nurse took a blood sample and labelled the tube carefully."
2
A subset of a population studied in order to draw conclusions about the whole group.
"The survey was based on a sample of two thousand voters."
"Researchers asked a sample of five hundred students about their sleep habits."
"A small sample cannot always tell us how the whole population feels."
3
A short clip of one recording reused inside another piece of music.
"The producer built the whole beat around a sample from an old soul record."
"The song opens with a sample of a choir singing, looped over a drum track."
"Is that a sample from a film, or did the band record it themselves?"
verb
1
To try or test a small amount of something.
"We sampled every cheese on the counter before deciding."
"Visitors can sample the local honey before they decide which jar to buy."
"I sampled a spoonful of the soup to check whether it needed more salt."
2
To take a short recording from an existing piece of music and reuse it in a new one.
"The rapper sampled a 1970s funk track for the chorus."
"Many dance producers sample old drum breaks and speed them up for new tracks."
"She sampled a few seconds of birdsong and layered it under the melody."
How to use sample
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small piece or amount of something used to represent, test, or judge the whole — or, in music, a reused snippet of another recording.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
free sample
random sample
sample size
sample a beat
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Word forms
- Plural
- samples
- Third person singular
- samples
- Past tense
- sampled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The tailor cut a _____ of fabric so she could match the colour.
Etymology
From Old French essample ("example"), from Latin exemplum — sample and example are doublets, two words descended from the very same Latin source.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for sample
See all rhymes for sample →Frequently asked questions
What does “sample” mean?
The word “sample” means a small portion of something given or shown to represent the whole. In plain terms, a small piece or amount of something used to represent, test, or judge the whole — or, in music, a reused snippet of another recording.
How do you pronounce “sample”?
“Sample” is pronounced SAHM-puhl (/ˈsæm.pəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “sample” in a sentence?
Here is “sample” used in a sentence: “The tailor cut a sample of fabric so she could match the colour.”
What is another word for “sample”?
Words with a similar meaning to “sample” include example and specimen.
What part of speech is “sample”?
Depending on how it is used, “sample” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “sample” come from?
The word “sample” comes from Latin. From Old French essample ("example"), from Latin exemplum — sample and example are doublets, two words descended from the very same Latin source.
Is “sample” a common word?
“Sample” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “sample” have?
“Sample” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small portion of something given or shown to represent the whole.
What is the difference between a sample and an example?
A sample is a small piece taken from a larger whole to represent it — a sample of fabric, or a blood sample. An example is one instance used to illustrate a general point or type. A sample is literally part of the thing; an example simply demonstrates it. That distinction is why they are mixed up.
What is an example of a sample?
A tiny cup of ice cream handed out in a shop is a sample, meant to represent the full tub. So is a paint swatch, a perfume tester, or a blood sample drawn for testing. In research, a sample is the smaller group studied to draw conclusions about a whole population.
What are the types of samples?
The meaning shifts by field. In shopping and marketing, a sample is a free taster of a product. In science and statistics, it is a subset chosen to represent a larger population, such as a random or representative sample. In medicine, it is material like blood or tissue taken for testing. All stand in for a bigger whole.
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