specimen

noun

spec·​i·​men ˈspes-mən How to pronounce specimen (audio)
ˈspe-sə-
1
a
: an individual, item, or part considered typical of a group, class, or whole
b
: a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study
a urine specimen
2
a
: something that obviously belongs to a particular category but is noticed by reason of an individual distinguishing characteristic
b
: person, individual
he's a tough specimen
3
: a plant grown for exhibition or in the open to display its full development
specimen trees
Choose the Right Synonym for specimen

instance, case, illustration, example, sample, specimen mean something that exhibits distinguishing characteristics in its category.

instance applies to any individual person, act, or thing that may be offered to illustrate or explain.

an instance of history repeating itself

case is used to direct attention to a real or assumed occurrence or situation that is to be considered, studied, or dealt with.

a case of mistaken identity

illustration applies to an instance offered as a means of clarifying or illuminating a general statement.

a telling illustration of Murphy's Law

example applies to a typical, representative, or illustrative instance or case.

a typical example of bureaucratic waste

sample implies a part or unit taken at random from a larger whole and so presumed to be typical of its qualities.

show us a sample of your work

specimen applies to any example or sample whether representative or merely existent and available.

one of the finest specimens of the jeweler's art

Examples of specimen in a Sentence

The church is a magnificent specimen of baroque architecture. Her dance partner is a superb physical specimen.
Recent Examples on the Web What's That Skull?, 3 p.m. at McCormick's Creek State Park: Explore the nature center’s collection of specimens and learn about what clues skulls can give us. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Scientists stained some of the specimens with a temporary contrast-enhancing solution that allows the team to visualize their soft tissues, including muscle, skin, and other organs. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 Follow-up surveys could not find any more specimens. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 The greatest reduction of specimens occurred with spiders, followed by ants and beetles. Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The team then set out to compare the genetics of the green anaconda with other specimens elsewhere to assess them as an indicator species for the health of ecosystems, and warned that the Amazon is facing numerous threats. Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 Those were summer sightings, though, of smaller specimens than what Schwartz saw. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024 As a boy, Kawahara gathered specimens from Singapore, Hawaii, Alaska, California and all over Japan. Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 Araya also catalogs champion trees — the largest specimens in the state or even the country — wherever his work takes him, which is all across L.A. One of his favorite specimens to send fellow arborists out to is the towering silk floss in back of Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery in Sawtelle. Ryan Bradley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'specimen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from specere to look at, look — more at spy

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of specimen was in 1610

Dictionary Entries Near specimen

Cite this Entry

“Specimen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specimen. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

specimen

noun
spec·​i·​men ˈspes-(ə-)mən How to pronounce specimen (audio)
1
: a part or a single thing that shows what the whole thing or group is like : sample
2
: a portion of material for use in testing or examination
a blood specimen
3
: person sense 1, individual
he's a tough specimen

Medical Definition

specimen

noun
spec·​i·​men ˈspes-(ə-)mən How to pronounce specimen (audio)
1
: an individual, item, or part typical of a group, class, or whole
2
: a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study
a urine specimen

More from Merriam-Webster on specimen

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