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sampler

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

a person who samples.
a piece of cloth embroidered with various stitches, serving to show a beginner's skill in needlework.
a collection of samples, selections, etc.: a sampler of French poetry.
an electronic device that digitally encodes and stores samples of sound.

RELATED WORDS

figurative, descriptive, emblematic, revealing, lace, decoration, tapestry, brocade, needlepoint, quilting, canvasser, adornment, needlework, tracery, bargello, arabesque, crochet, tatting, cross-stitch, allegorical

Nearby words

samphire, sample, sample point, sample room, sample space, sampler, sampling, sampling distribution, sampling frame, sampling statistic, sampo

Origin of sampler

1250–1300; Middle English samplere < Old French essamplere, exemplaire < Latin exemplārium exemplar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sampler

British Dictionary definitions for sampler

sampler

/ (ˈsɑːmplə) /

noun

a person who takes samples
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
music a piece of electronic equipment used for sampling
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

Word Origin and History for sampler

sampler

n.

"embroidery specimen by a beginner to show skill," 1520s, from sample (n.); earlier "pattern, model, example to be imitated" (early 14c.). The connecting notion is probably "piece of embroidery serving as a pattern to be copied, or to fix and retain the pattern." As "a collection of samples" from 1912.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper