sampler
B2Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
A small sample or piece of fabric, food, or music, often used to demonstrate quality or variety.
1. A decorative piece of embroidery showing a variety of stitches. 2. A box containing small quantities of different foods. 3. A digital hardware device or software program that records and plays back audio samples.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The meaning is highly context-dependent: textile craft, gastronomy, or music technology.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In embroidery contexts, 'sampler' is used in both. In music technology, 'sampler' is universal. 'Sampler' for a food selection is more common in British English (e.g., 'cheese sampler').
Connotations
UK: Strong craft/culinary heritage. US: Music technology association is slightly stronger.
Frequency
More frequent in UK English due to craft and food uses.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[determiner] + sampler + of + [noun]use/play/create + a samplersampler + [verb] + [adverb]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A sampler of life”
- “A sampler platter (restaurant menu)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Marketing: 'We offer a product sampler pack to attract new customers.'
Academic
Textile history: 'The 18th-century sampler demonstrated stitching techniques.'
Everyday
Dining: 'Shall we share a dessert sampler?'
Technical
Music production: 'Load the drum loop into the sampler.'
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The shop gave me a free sampler of perfume.
- Look at my embroidery sampler.
- We ordered the chocolate sampler to try different flavours.
- Her first sampler included letters and flowers.
- The brewery's beer sampler featured six seasonal ales.
- He used a vintage sampler to create the track's bassline.
- The museum's exhibition included a 17th-century sampler depicting a biblical scene.
- Advanced sampling techniques require a hardware sampler with high fidelity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SAMPLER: Saves And Manages Pieces, Letting Everyone Review.
Conceptual Metaphor
A WINDOW INTO A LARGER COLLECTION (a sampler provides a view of what is available).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'сэмплер' in non-technical contexts; for food/embroidery, use 'набор образцов', 'пробник'.
- Confusing 'sampler' (the object) with 'sample' (the act of trying).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'sampler' as a verb (correct verb: 'sample').
- Spelling as 'samplear' or 'samplar'.
- Using 'sampler' to mean a person who samples (that is a 'sampling technician' or 'tester').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'sampler' LEAST likely be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is common in specific domains (crafts, dining, music) but not an everyday high-frequency word.
No. A 'sampler' is a thing (object/device/collection). A person is a 'tester', 'taster', or 'quality controller'.
A 'sample' is a single example or portion. A 'sampler' is a collection of samples or a device for handling them.
Use it with a determiner and often specify the type: 'a cheese sampler', 'an embroidery sampler', 'a digital sampler'.
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