sampler
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a collection of different things to try, such as a box of various chocolates or a plate with small portions of different foods.
a representative selection or assortment of items intended to provide a broad experience of a larger collection.
Simple“We ordered the dessert sampler so we could try four different cakes.”
In context“The publisher released a digital sampler containing the first chapters of their upcoming autumn titles to generate early interest among reviewers.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
an electronic machine or software that records short pieces of sound and plays them back as music.
an electronic musical instrument or software application that records, processes, and plays back digital audio samples.
Simple“The producer used a sampler to turn a bird's song into a drum beat.”
In context“Modern hip-hop production relies heavily on the sampler to repurpose vintage soul recordings into contemporary rhythmic foundations.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
a piece of cloth decorated with many different types of stitches and patterns to show a person's sewing skills.
a piece of embroidery produced as a demonstration or test of skill in needlework, often featuring alphabets, motifs, and borders.
Simple“My great-grandmother made this beautiful silk sampler when she was a young girl.”
In context“The museum's textile collection includes a rare eighteenth-century sampler featuring intricate floral patterns and moral verses stitched in fine silk thread.”
Synonymsembroideryneedlework - 04 C1 Advanced
a tool or machine used to take a small amount of something, like water or soil, to test it in a lab.
a mechanical or electronic device designed to extract a representative portion of a substance for analysis.
Simple“The scientists lowered a water sampler into the deep lake to check for pollution.”
In context“The automated soil sampler was programmed to collect specimens at three-meter intervals across the agricultural test site.”
From Old French essamplaire, from Latin exemplāris. Doublet of exemplar.
From sample + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.