specimen
Americannoun
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a part or an individual taken as exemplifying a whole mass or number; a typical animal, plant, mineral, part, etc.
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(in medicine, microbiology, etc.) a sample of a substance or material for examination or study.
a urine specimen; a tissue specimen.
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a particular or peculiar kind of person.
noun
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an individual, object, or part regarded as typical of the group or class to which it belongs
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( as modifier )
a specimen signature
a specimen page
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med a sample of tissue, blood, urine, etc, taken for diagnostic examination or evaluation
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the whole or a part of an organism, plant, rock, etc, collected and preserved as an example of its class, species, etc
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informal a person
Synonym Usage
See example.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of specimen
1600–10; < Latin: mark, example, indication, sign, equivalent to speci-, stem of specere to look, regard + -men noun suffix denoting result or means
Explanation
A specimen is a sample of something, like a specimen of blood or body tissue that is taken for medical testing. The noun specimen comes from the Latin word specere, meaning “to look.” Biologists collect specimens so they can get a better look at something to study it. The idea is that, with a good specimen, you can learn about an entire group: it's a good representation. That meaning is echoed in the slang use of specimen, a strong, healthy and attractive person.
Vocabulary lists containing specimen
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Common Senses: Spec, Spect, Spic ("Look")
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Charlotte's Web
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Specimen examination using this technique showed that E. albertii survived in the human intestinal tract for approximately four weeks and continued to be found in feces.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2024
Jack Rudloe, who co-founded the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in 1963, was impressed.
From Washington Post • Mar. 11, 2023
The blue and white box had a label that said "Exempt Human Specimen," police said, according to The Denver Post.
From Fox News • Mar. 6, 2022
At Gulf Specimen Marine Lab and Aquarium, a local favorite for children and school field trips, Cypress Rudloe, the executive director, took his muddy waders and stepped barefoot into a tank.
From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2018
"Hey!" cried Specimen, as the brittle sticks of charcoal went cascading over his drawing.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
