sampling
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the process of taking a small amount of something to see what the whole thing is like.
the process or technique of obtaining a representative sample for analysis or testing.
Simple“The water company does regular sampling of the lake to make sure it is safe for swimming.”
In context“Environmental scientists conducted extensive sampling of the soil across the industrial site to determine the extent of the chemical contamination.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun when referring to the general process.
- 02 C1 Advanced
choosing a small group of people or things to represent a much larger group.
the selection of a subset of individuals from within a statistical population to estimate characteristics of the whole.
Simple“The researchers used random sampling to pick people for the survey.”
In context“To ensure the validity of the study, the team employed stratified sampling to account for the diverse demographics within the urban population.”
UsageCommonly used in phrases like 'random sampling' or 'representative sampling'.
Synonymsdata collectionpolling - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
taking a piece of an old song and using it in a new piece of music.
the electronic reuse of portions of previously recorded sound as a structural or decorative element in a new composition.
Simple“Modern hip-hop often uses sampling to pay tribute to classic soul records.”
In context“The producer's clever sampling of a 1970s jazz riff provided the rhythmic foundation for the entire electronic track.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
measuring a sound wave many times a second to turn it into a digital file.
the measurement of the amplitude of a varying waveform at regular intervals to convert it into digital form.
Simple“A higher sampling rate usually means the digital audio will sound much clearer.”
In context“The fidelity of the recording depends heavily on the sampling frequency used during the initial analog-to-digital conversion process.”
UsageOften appears in the context of 'sampling rate'.
Synonymsdigitization
Usage random sampling
“We checked our sampling technique, our water chemistry and other aspects of our testing.”
“Here is a sampling of some of the questions that appeared on the very first SAT.”