[count] 1 : a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from
▪ a blood/water/soil sample ▪ We would like to see a sample of your work. 2 : a small amount of something that is given to people to try
▪ I tasted a sample of the new cereal. ▪ Free samples were handed out at the store. 3 : a group of people or things that are taken from a larger group and studied, tested, or questioned to get information
▪ The sample included 96 women over the age of 40. ▪ a sample group ▪ A random sample of people filled out the survey. ▪ We looked at a representative sample of public schools. 4 : a small part of a recording (such as a song) that is used in another performer's recording