Samples
/ˈsæmplz/
Definitions
2 meaningsA small part or quantity of something, intended to show what the whole is like.
/ˈsæmplz/
A representative part or a single item from a larger whole.
The museum displays samples of ancient pottery.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're at a food store. The little bits of food you try before buying the big container? Those are samples! They let you see if you like the whole thing.
👶 For kids: A sample is a tiny piece of something that shows you what the whole thing is like.
More Examples
Researchers analyzed blood samples to diagnose the illness.
Can I have a sample of the perfume?
How It's Used
"Scientists collect soil samples to analyze the mineral content."
"The company offered free product samples to potential customers."
"The musician used sound samples from old records."
To take a sample of (something) for testing or analysis.
/ˈsæmplz/
To test or examine a portion of something.
The researchers sampled the air for pollutants.
💡 Simply: It’s like taking a little bit of something, whether it's food, data, or music, to understand the rest of it better. Like when you taste a small part of your soup to see if you need more salt or pepper.
👶 For kids: Sampling is taking a little bit to check what the whole thing is like.
More Examples
The chef sampled the sauce for flavor.
The band sampled a classic song in their new track.
How It's Used
"The scientists sampled the river water for pollutants."
"He sampled different beats to create his own music."
Synonyms
From Middle English *sample*, from Old French *essample* ('example'), from Latin *exemplum* ('example').
Historically, the word 'sample' was used to refer to a 'pattern' or 'model' before the more common usage of a small portion representing a whole.
Memory tip
Think of a small piece of a puzzle representing the whole picture.