thin slice
Wafer of something
A thin slice is a small sample used to make quick judgments about a larger whole.
The term comes from psychology, where researchers found that brief observations—a few seconds of behavior, a single photograph—often predict outcomes as well as lengthy analysis.
From a thin slice of their interaction, she could tell the marriage was troubled.
The concept suggests that snap judgments, while seemingly superficial, can capture essential patterns.
- peelOuter fruit layer
- sliverThin split-off piece
- filletBoneless meat portion
- shaveCut hair close
- carveCut to shape
prosciutto · beef carpaccio · shard · wafer · paper cut · first impression · snap judgment · quick read · sashimi · cross-section · intuition · ribbon · gut feeling · heuristic · Malcolm Gladwell · layer · glimpse · splinter