The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Sample \Sam"ple\, v. t.
   1. To make or show something similar to; to match. --Bp.
      Hall.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To take or to test a sample or samples of; as, to sample
      sugar, teas, wools, cloths.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thus he concludes, and every hardy knight
            His sample followed.                  --Fairfax.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

            I design this but for a sample of what I hope more
            fully to discuss.                     --Woodward.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Specimen; example. See Specimen.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

sample
    n 1: a small part of something intended as representative of the
         whole
    2: items selected at random from a population and used to test
       hypotheses about the population [syn: sample distribution,
       sample, sampling]
    3: all or part of a natural object that is collected and
       preserved as an example of its class
    v 1: take a sample of; "Try these new crackers"; "Sample the
         regional dishes" [syn: sample, try, try out, taste]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

117 Moby Thesaurus words for "sample":
   adjunct, assay, barometer, bite, bring to test, canvass, case,
   case history, characteristic, component, conduct a poll, confirm,
   constituent, contingent, cross section, cut and try, detachment,
   detail, distinctive, distinguishing, division, dole, element,
   essay, example, exemplary, experience, experiment, feeler,
   fraction, fragment, give a try, give a tryout, have a go,
   illustration, illustrative, indication, individual, installment,
   item, little bite, little smack, make a survey, natural,
   naturalistic, nibble, normal, parcel, part, particular, percentage,
   piece, pilot balloon, play around with, poll, portion,
   practice upon, probe, prove, put to trial, quadrant, quarter,
   questionnaire, quintessential, quota, random sample, realistic,
   regular, remainder, representation, representational,
   representative, research, road-test, run a sample, sampler,
   sampling, savor, section, sector, segment, shake down, share, sign,
   sip, smack, sound, sounder, specimen, straw vote, subdivision,
   subgroup, subspecies, substantiate, sup, survey, swatch, taste,
   taste of, taster, test, trial, trial balloon, true to form,
   true to type, try, try it on, try out, typal, typic, typical, unit,
   usual, validate, verify, weather vane, weathercock



The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

sample

    The result of measuring the
   amplitude of an analog signal at a specified time.  In
   digital signal processing a sample is a signed or unsigned
   number and the number of samples per second is called the
   sample rate.

   (2001-06-06)


Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

SAMPLE, contracts. A small quantity of any commodity or merchandise,
exhibited as a specimen of a larger quantity called the bulk. (q.v.)
     2. When a sale is made by sample, and it afterwards turns out that the
bulk does not correspond with it, the purchaser is not, in general, bound to
take the property on a compensation being made to him for the difference. 1
Campb. R. 113; vide 2 East, 314; 4, Campb. R. 22; 12 Wend. 566 9 Wend. 20; 6
Cowen, 354; 12 Wend. 413. See 5 John. R. 395.