In English, sample has several related meanings as both a noun and a verb, but all center on the idea of a small representative part. As a noun, sample means a small portion, specimen, or piece taken from a larger whole to show, test, or represent the whole. For example, a blood sample is a small amount of blood taken for testing, a free sample is a small product given to try before buying, a fabric sample is a swatch showing color and texture, and in statistics a sample is a subset of a population selected for study. In music, a sample is a short snippet of sound or music taken from one recording to reuse in another song. As a verb, to sample means to take a sample, to try a small amount, to taste, to test, or in research to select a subset. For example, to sample a wine means to taste it, to sample opinions means to survey a group. In EMS, SAMPLE is an acronym for a medical history checklist. The word comes from Middle English and Old French essample, meaning example. So in English, sample essentially means example, specimen, or small representative piece used for evaluation, demonstration, or analysis across science, business, art, and everyday language.
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