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View synonyms for

specimen

[ spes-uh-muhn ]

noun

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

    Synonyms: , ,

  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.


specimen

/ ˈɛɪɪ /

noun

    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

  1. med a sample of tissue, blood, urine, etc, taken for diagnostic examination or evaluation
  2. the whole or a part of an organism, plant, rock, etc, collected and preserved as an example of its class, species, etc
  3. informal.
    a person
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of specimen1

1600–10; < Latin: mark, example, indication, sign, equivalent to speci-, stem of specere to look, regard + -men noun suffix denoting result or means
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Word History and Origins

Origin of specimen1

C17: from Latin: mark, evidence, proof, from specere to look at
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Synonym Study

See example.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He’s a different physical specimen and his journey has prepared him for the inevitable highs and lows that will come with playing baseball in the coming years.

From

Not surprisingly, the length of time that a tree has existed is the main reason for a specimen to be classed as ancient.

From

The company cut down the 500-year-old oak despite a March 2024 planning document that called it a "fine specimen", and the council stating it had centuries to live.

From

An ancient oak felled in a north London park by Toby Carvery's owners was classified last year as a "fine specimen" with a life expectancy of at least 50 years, planning documents show.

From

The specimen also preserves the first keratinous sheath of a therizinosaur, an element that covers the claw much like human fingernails, aiding defence, movement, or prey catching.

From

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specifyspecimen plant