n.
Pronunciation: ' sam-pli ŋ , for 1 & 3 -p( ə -)li ŋ
Function: noun
Date: 1778
1 : the act, process, or technique of selecting a suitable sample specifically : the act, process, or technique of selecting a representative part of a population for the purpose of determining parameters or characteristics of the whole population
2 : a small part selected as a sample for inspection or analysis <ask a sampling of people which candidate they favor>
3 : the introduction or promotion of a product by distributing trial packages of it