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Synonyms

sampler

American  
[sam-pler, sahm-] / ˈsæm plər, ˈsɑm- /

noun

samplers plural
  1. a person who samples.

  2. a piece of cloth embroidered with various stitches, serving to show a beginner's skill in needlework.

  3. a collection of samples, selections, etc..

    a sampler of French poetry.

  4. an electronic device that digitally encodes and stores samples of sound.


sampler British  
/ ˈsɑːmplə /

noun

  1. a person who takes samples

  2. a piece of embroidery executed as an example of the embroiderer's skill in using a variety of stitches: often incorporating numbers, letters, and the name and age of the embroiderer in a decorative panel

  3. music a piece of electronic equipment used for sampling

  4. a recording comprising a collection of tracks from other albums, intended to stimulate interest in the featured products

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of sampler

1250–1300; Middle English samplere < Old French essamplere, exemplaire < Latin exemplārium exemplar

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

That sampler captured the band’s brand of thrash punk in its purest form.

From Los Angeles Times May 21, 2026

"That's the sound you hear on Strawberry Fields Forever," he says, indicating a Mellotron organ, an early sampler that used tape loops to produce orchestral sounds.

From BBC May 14, 2026

The duck sampler is my favorite place to start, especially for first-timers.

From Salon Dec. 4, 2025

Dashi is the foundation of Japanese food, and this sampler offers scrumptious variations on the umami-rich broth.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 20, 2025

I pulled my sampler from my sewing bag and looked at it.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Working with synths and samplers allowed him to reinforce the subharmonics and add potency to the score.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 23, 2024

To measure pesticide exposure, four of the volunteers wore cotton full-body suits with veils, socks and gloves that would pick up contact residues and personal air samplers that would capture airborne residues.

From Science Daily Apr. 1, 2024

The daughter of Leftfield's Neil Barnes, she was a toddler tripping over cables and samplers while he recorded the iconic British dance album Leftfield in their flat.

From BBC Jul. 28, 2023

Over McCartney’s career, he has been quick to engage with new creative technologies, whether talking about synthesizers or samplers, she said.

From New York Times Jun. 13, 2023

Mother was awakening to the sorry facts: My biscuits were like stones, my samplers askew, my seams like rickrack.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

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