specimen

American  

[spes-uh-muhn] / ˈspɛs ə mən /

noun

specimens plural

1. a part or an individual taken as exemplifying a whole mass or number; a typical animal, plant, mineral, part, etc.

   Synonyms:

   pattern, model, type

2. (in medicine, microbiology, etc.) a sample of a substance or material for examination or study.

   a urine specimen; a tissue specimen.

3. a particular or peculiar kind of person.

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specimen British  

/ ˈspɛsɪmɪn /

noun

1. 1. an individual, object, or part regarded as typical of the group or class to which it belongs

   2. ( as modifier )

      a specimen signature

      a specimen page

2. med a sample of tissue, blood, urine, etc, taken for diagnostic examination or evaluation

3. the whole or a part of an organism, plant, rock, etc, collected and preserved as an example of its class, species, etc

4. informal a person

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Synonym Usage

See example.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• specimens
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

She was excited to feature such an unusual specimen on her Instagram plant blog, @cubehousejungle, and hopes to make it to this year’s bloom too.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

"He wasn't in the greatest physical shape, but he moved well. He had a good pair of shoulders and he looked like physically he was going to become a specimen in the right environment."

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

At the center was a specimen determined to likely be the baby of a crocodile-esque creature known as an embolomere, which lived mostly in the water but did develop little legs.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

Once back in Dunedin, Köhler brought the specimen to the University of Otago's Department of Geology.

From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026

“Scientists have playfully named this specimen Dumbo,” the TV narrator says.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

Related Words

• copy
• exhibit
• variety