a small amount of something taken to test, check quality, or show what the rest is like
The doctor placed the blood sample into a glass vial.
At the perfume counter, customers lined up to smell a free sample of the new fragrance.
✦ Middle English, from Old French essample, from Latin exemplum “example”. Shifted from “example” to “specimen taken for testing” in the 19th century.
something that shows what a larger group or style is like; an example
This cake is a fine sample of French baking.
The museum displayed a sample of ancient pottery.
to taste, try, or experience a small amount of something to see what it is like
Visitors can sample different cheeses at the farm shop.
She sampled the soup and added more salt.
a group or set chosen from a larger population to study or measure it
The researchers surveyed a random sample of 1,000 voters.
A small sample of students were asked about their study habits.
a short piece of recorded sound reused in a new piece of music
The producer added a drum sample from an old jazz record.
That song’s catchy hook is actually a sample of a 1970s hit.
to collect small amounts of a substance or select people from a population in order to test or study them
Scientists sample water from the river every week.
The technician sampled the air in the laboratory for contaminants.
