Sampling

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈsæmpəlɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The action of selecting a smaller portion from a larger dataset for evaluation occurs through this method of data collection
2. The process of choosing a smaller part from a whole dataset for examination ; the act of drawing a part of a population to represent the entire group in a study ; the technique of capturing snippets of audio for reuse or manipulation
3. Collecting a manageable segment from a larger set for assessment ; obtaining a portion of a group to infer characteristics about the full population ; the method of digitally or electronically capturing sounds to be used in music or sound design

Etymology: "Sampling" is the -ing form of "sample," and its story begins with "example." Medieval English borrowed "sample" from Old French "essample," meaning "example," which came from Latin "exemplum." The two words are doublets: they split apart in English, with "example" keeping the fuller, earlier form and "sample" wearing down into a shorter, more practical shape. For centuries the two overlapped in meaning, so a sample was once something close to a model or pattern to be imitated. The modern sense of taking a small part to represent the whole developed from that idea of a representative example. Sampling, in the sense of selecting a portion, follows naturally: you draw out a piece that stands in for the rest. The shift from "something to copy" to "a piece pulled out to judge the whole" is the step that gives the word its current working meaning.

Synonyms: testing, selecting, tasting, examining, choosing

Antonyms: ignoring, overlooking, neglecting