/ ˈsɑːmpl; NAmE ˈsæmpl/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a number of people or things taken from a larger group and used in tests to provide information about the group :
The interviews were given to a random sample of students.
The survey covers a representative sample of schools.
a sample survey
2.
a small amount of a substance taken from a larger amount and tested in order to obtain information about the substance :
a blood sample
Samples of the water contained pesticide.
3.
a small amount or example of sth that can be looked at or tried to see what it is like :
'I'd like to see a sample of your work,' said the manager.
a free sample of shampoo
4.
( technical ) a piece of recorded music or sound that is used in a new piece of music
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
to try a small amount of a particular food to see what it is like; to experience sth for a short time to see what it is like :
I sampled the delights of Greek cooking for the first time.
2.
( technical ) to test, question, etc., part of sth or of a group of people in order to find out what the rest is like :
12% of the children sampled said they prefer cats to dogs.
3.
( technical ) to record part of a piece of music, or a sound, in order to use it in a new piece of music
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (as a noun): from an Anglo-Norman French variant of Old French essample example. Current senses of the verb date from the mid 18th cent.