sample

sam·ple (sam′pəl, säm′-)

noun

a part, piece, or item taken or shown as representative of a whole thing, group, species, etc.; specimen; pattern samples of wallpaper
an illustration; example a sample of his humor
a small amount of sound, music, etc. taken from one context, digitized and recorded, edited, and used again in another context
☆ Statistics a selected segment of a population studied to gain knowledge of the whole

Etymology: ME, aphetic for asample < Anglo-Fr, for OFr essample: see example

transitive verb -·pled, -·pling

to take a sample or samples of, as for testing quality
to digitize and record (small amounts of sound, music, etc.) for editing and using again in another context

Preposition: of

fabricator: The survey covers a representative sample of 100 retail window fabricators.

Converse of object

collect: The new arrivals would start collecting samples which would be taken back to the laboratory for analysis.
stratify: Questionnaires were distributed to a stratified random sample of 103 women taken from the social services register, 38 of which were returned.
analyze: A lab-based PIMA service is also available to analyze samples provided to us by customers.
obtain: Generally, only one needle puncture will be required to obtain all blood samples at a given time.

Adjective modifier

random: This is a simple routine; the real problem lies in trying to justify its claim to produce a random sample.
representative: In the early summer, we invited a representative sample of firms to confirm whether their preparations were on track.
mp3: MP3 samples are currently being produced for our newest stock, and are also gradually being introduced for our back catalog.
fecal: Rectal fecal samples were used together with the modified McMaster technique to calculate the egg count.
biological: Image analysis, modeling skills, and experience with biological samples will be an advantage.

Modifies a noun

size: Sample size was calculated according to a two-stage optimal Simon's design.
chapter: You can view sample chapters of this book on the Oxfam site.
menu: Please call Wedding Sales to arrange a visit or request further information, including sample menus.
preparation: The various samples were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy to assess the usefulness of these sample preparation techniques in the field of paintings research.

Noun used with modifier

urine: At the first appointment, you will usually be asked to bring a urine sample which will be tested for the presence of protein.
blood: A blood sample is drawn by needle from a vein in the arm.
DNA: There would be no way to run a dental check or to get a DNA sample.
tissue: Small tissue samples are also be obtained using this method allowing a range of inflammatory and injury markers to be examined in the tissue.
stool: Your doctor may ask you to provide a stool sample which will be sent to a laboratory and tested.
soil: Small soil samples are taken on a grid basis, either with an auger or following the topsoil strip.

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