sample
sample (sămʹpəl) noun
1. a. A portion, piece, or segment that is representative of a whole. b. An entity that is representative of a class; a specimen. See synonyms at example.
2. Statistics. A set of elements drawn from and analyzed to estimate the characteristics of a population. In this sense, also called sampling.
verb, transitive
sampled, sampling, samples
To take a sample of, especially to test or examine by a sample: the restaurant critic who must sample a little of everything.
adjective
Serving as a representative or an example: sample test questions; a sample piece of fabric.
[Partly Middle English (from Anglo-Norman) and partly short for Middle English ensample (from Anglo-Norman), both from Latin exemplum. See example.]