# sampler

/ˈsæmpɫɝ/ (US) · /sˈɑːmplɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sampler
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a variety of items

noun · CEFR B2

a collection of different things to try, such as a box of various chocolates or a plate with small portions of different foods.

For teachers: a representative selection or assortment of items intended to provide a broad experience of a larger collection.

- We ordered the dessert sampler so we could try four different cakes.
- The publisher released a digital sampler containing the first chapters of their upcoming autumn titles to generate early interest among reviewers.

### 2. electronic music device

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

an electronic machine or software that records short pieces of sound and plays them back as music.

For teachers: an electronic musical instrument or software application that records, processes, and plays back digital audio samples.

- The producer used a sampler to turn a bird's song into a drum beat.
- Modern hip-hop production relies heavily on the sampler to repurpose vintage soul recordings into contemporary rhythmic foundations.

### 3. needlework art

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a piece of cloth decorated with many different types of stitches and patterns to show a person's sewing skills.

For teachers: a piece of embroidery produced as a demonstration or test of skill in needlework, often featuring alphabets, motifs, and borders.

- My great-grandmother made this beautiful silk sampler when she was a young girl.
- The museum's textile collection includes a rare eighteenth-century sampler featuring intricate floral patterns and moral verses stitched in fine silk thread.

### 4. a tool for testing

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a tool or machine used to take a small amount of something, like water or soil, to test it in a lab.

For teachers: a mechanical or electronic device designed to extract a representative portion of a substance for analysis.

- The scientists lowered a water sampler into the deep lake to check for pollution.
- The automated soil sampler was programmed to collect specimens at three-meter intervals across the agricultural test site.

## Examples

- He uses a digital sampler to create his drum beats.
- The producer used a vintage sampler to give the vocal track a gritty, lo-fi texture.
- Early hip-hop pioneers relied on hardware samplers to loop drum breaks from classic funk records, effectively turning the recording studio into a primary instrument for composition.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.