samp

‖n. (Naut.) A Chinese boat from twelve to fifteen feet long, covered with a house, and sometimes used as a permanent habitation on the inland waters. [ Written also sanpan. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. l'herbe de Saint Pierre. See Saint, and Petrel. ] (Bot.) (a) A fleshy, suffrutescent, umbelliferous European plant (Crithmum maritimum). It grows among rocks and on cliffs along the seacoast, and is used for pickles. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) The species of glasswort (Salicornia herbacea); -- called in England marsh samphire. (c) A seashore shrub (Borrichia arborescens) of the West Indies. [ 1913 Webster ]

Golden samphire. See under Golden. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

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 ]