Sample Definition

sămpəl
sampled, samples, sampling
noun
samples
A part, piece, or item taken or shown as representative of a whole thing, group, species, etc.; specimen; pattern.
Samples of wallpaper.
Webster's New World
A specimen taken for analysis or testing.
A blood sample; a water sample.
American Heritage
An illustration; example.
A sample of his humor.
Webster's New World
A set of data or elements drawn from a larger population and analyzed to estimate the characteristics of that population.
American Heritage
A small amount of sound, music, etc. taken from one context, digitized and recorded, edited, and used again in another context.
Webster's New World
verb
sampled, samples, sampling
To take a sample or samples of, as for testing quality.
Webster's New World
To digitize and record (small amounts of sound, music, etc.) for editing and using again in another context.
Webster's New World
To use or incorporate (an audio segment of an original recording) in a new recording.
A song that samples the bassline of a 1970s disco tune.
American Heritage
To represent the value of (an analog signal) at a particular point in time by means of a piece of digital data.
American Heritage
To make or show something similar to; to match.
Wiktionary
adjective
Serving as a representative or example.
Sample test questions; a sample piece of fabric.
American Heritage
abbreviation
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Sample

Noun

Singular:
sample
Plural:
samples

Origin of Sample

  • Partly Middle English (from Anglo-Norman) and partly short for Middle English ensample (from Anglo-Norman) both from Latin exemplum example

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Old English sample, asaumple, Old French essample, example, from Latin exemplum.

    From Wiktionary

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