3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sample  \Sam"ple\,  n.  [OE.  sample,  asaumple  OF  essample, 
  example,  fr  L.  exemplum  See  {Example},  and  cf  {Ensample}, 
  {Sampler}.] 
  1.  Example;  pattern.  [Obs.]  --Spenser.  ``A  sample  to  the 
  youngest.''  --Shak. 
 
  Thus  he  concludes,  and  every  hardy  knight  His  sample 
  followed.  --Fairfax. 
 
  2.  A  part  of  anything  presented  for  inspection,  or  shown  as 
  evidence  of  the  quality  of  the  whole;  a  specimen;  as 
  goods  are  often  purchased  by  samples. 
 
  I  design  this  but  for  a  sample  of  what  I  hope  more 
  fully  to  discuss.  --Woodward. 
 
  Syn:  Specimen;  example.  See  {Specimen}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sample  \Sam"ple\,  v.  t. 
  1.  To  make  or  show  something  similar  to  to  match.  --Bp. 
  Hall. 
 
  2.  To  take  or  to  test  a  sample  or  samples  of  as  to  sample 
  sugar,  teas,  wools,  cloths. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  sample 
  n  1:  a  small  part  of  something  intended  as  representative  of  the 
  whole 
  2:  items  selected  from  a  population  and  used  to  test  hypotheses 
  about  the  population  [syn:  {sample  distribution}] 
  3:  all  or  part  of  a  natural  object  that  is  collected  and 
  preserved  as  an  example  of  its  class 
  v  :  take  a  sample  of  "Try  these  new  crackers";  "Sample  the 
  regional  dishes"  [syn:  {try},  {try  out},  {taste}] 

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