Koetükk

Koetükk is an Estonian noun referring to a small piece or sample produced to test, evaluate, or demonstrate a technique, material, or concept before undertaking larger work. The word is a compound of koe, meaning “to test,” and tükk, meaning “piece,” and it is used across various professional and educational contexts to denote a preliminary or demonstrative specimen.

Practical uses of koetükk appear in several fields. In woodworking and metalworking, a koetükk can be a trial cut, a practice joint, or a finish sample used to adjust tools, parameters, or surface treatments. In textiles and garment production, it often denotes a fabric swatch or sample cut used to assess color, texture, drape, and handling. In education and research, students or researchers may create koetükid as practice pieces, pilot experiments, or demonstration examples to validate methods before a main project. In manuals and technical documentation, the term helps distinguish between final products and preliminary exemplars.

Koetükk is primarily found in technical, industrial, and educational contexts, and while it is understood in everyday Estonian, it is most common in professional discourse. Related terms include proovitükk (a direct synonym for trial piece) and näidis (sample or model).