an observation station that is set up to make sample observations of something
"The meteorological sampler was positioned on the hilltop to collect hourly readings of wind speed and direction."
someone who samples food or drink for its quality
"The chef hired a professional taster to sample every dish before it was served to customers."
a piece of embroidery demonstrating skill with various stitches
"The teacher displayed an intricate sampler on the classroom wall to showcase her mastery of different embroidery stitches."
A piece of needlework embroidered with a variety of designs.
"The food inspector acted as a sampler, carefully taking small portions from each dish to test for safety."
Someone whose job is to take samples.
In plain English: A sampler is something that lets you try out different parts of an activity before committing to it all.
"The museum gift shop sells many small art sampler kits for beginners to try out different painting techniques."
Usage: A sampler refers specifically to an embroidery project featuring multiple small stitches or patterns, not the person who takes product samples. Use this term when describing decorative textile art rather than someone performing sampling duties in business or research contexts.
The word sampler comes from the Old French essamplaire, which was borrowed from the Latin exemplāris. Originally meaning a model or pattern to follow, it traveled into English as a doublet of the word exemplar.