Sampling
/ˈsɑːmplɪŋ/
Definitions
3 meaningsThe process of taking a representative selection of data or a substance for analysis or testing. It can also refer to a small portion of a larger set used for this purpose.
/ˈsɑːmplɪŋ/
The act of taking a small part of something to test or examine it.
The sampling of blood revealed the presence of the virus.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're at the grocery store, and they offer you a little bite of cheese. That tiny bite is a 'sampling'—a small piece to help you decide if you want to buy the whole block. In science, it's like taking a tiny scoop of dirt to check what's in it.
👶 For kids: Taking a little bit of something to see what it's like, like tasting a tiny piece of cake!
More Examples
Random sampling is crucial in ensuring the survey results are representative.
The quality control team conducted extensive sampling to check for defects.
How It's Used
"Researchers used sampling to analyze water quality."
"Sampling is a key technique in many electronic music genres."
To take a small part or portion of something, especially to test, examine, or get a representative idea of the whole.
/ˈsɑːmplɪŋ/
The action of taking a small part of something to test or examine it.
The scientists are sampling the river water for pollutants.
💡 Simply: It's like trying a little bit of a food to see if you like it, before you eat the whole dish. Or, a scientist might 'sample' water to check if it's clean.
👶 For kids: To try a little bit of something to see what it's like, like taking a tiny taste of juice!
More Examples
The marketing team is sampling different ad campaigns to see which is most effective.
She is sampling the market to understand consumer preferences.
How It's Used
"The researcher is sampling the population to gather data."
"The chef is sampling the soup to adjust the seasoning."
The act of taking a portion of a sound recording, for reuse as an instrument or different recording in a different song or piece of music.
/ˈsɑːmplɪŋ/
A technique used in music production and other creative fields to reuse portions of sound recordings.
Sampling has become a key technique in hip-hop and electronic music.
💡 Simply: It's like cutting out a tiny piece of one song and putting it in another song. Musicians do this to make new music using bits of old music.
👶 For kids: Taking a little piece of music from one song and putting it in a new song!
More Examples
The artist's new work involves extensive sampling of vintage audio.
Copyright regulations often govern the legal use of sampling in creative works.
How It's Used
"Sampling allows musicians to incorporate existing recordings into their new compositions."
"The artist is sampling from historical artworks to create a new piece."
Synonyms
Analysis
Assessment
Examination
Assessing
Examining
Inspecting
Compiling
Extracting
Incorporating
Looping
Antonyms
From the verb 'sample', which comes from the Old French 'essamplaire' meaning 'example'. The '-ing' suffix indicates the present participle or gerund.
The term 'sampling' has been used in scientific contexts since the 19th century.
Memory tip
Think of taking a sample of ice cream to see if you like the flavor.