specimen
107
4.1
- noun
- /ˈspɛsɪmən/
- During the field trip, the students collected a specimen of the rare flower to study its features.
- collect specimens
- identify specimens
- type specimen
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Watch on YouTubeThis also isn't the only specimen we have like this.
- This also isn't the only specimen we have like this.
- And that's something that we might want to compare specimens.
- Like he had glass jars full of specimens.
- So you're one of the specimens that that doesn't mind being yourself.
- And so for them, and it's you have this bird and so perfectly preserving that specimen.
- You're not some weird specimen in Mars that does nothing.
- They are like insects, specimens drummed into stone.
Examples
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The exhibition includes more than 200 authentic human specimens, including entire bodies illustrating neurological, circulatory, and other systems.
Academic text (2011) -
The nation's natural history collections, with their jars and drawers of specimens, are full of such examples.
Academic text (2011) -
Living or dead, this specimen requires further investigation.
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Well, at least we got one live specimen.
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Is the specimen ready for cleaning?
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We got three fine specimens sitting right there.
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We lost all our research in the fire, all our specimens, everything.
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You never told me you were hiding such a beautiful specimen.
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Yeah, these are pretty impressive specimens for sure.
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Doctor, examine this alien specimen.
Synonyms
∞
2.3
A small part taken from something to test or study
Compounds
- Specialized
1
9.1
An animal or plant kept as the original example for naming a new species
- Specialized
A sample of cells taken from the body for examination under a microscope
- Specialized
A piece of metal prepared by polishing and acid treatment to see its structure under a microscope
- Specialized
A small bottle for collecting and keeping medical samples like urine
How Representative
Surface Forms
Etymology
Specimen comes from the Latin root spec- meaning 'to look' or 'see', the same root you find in inspect and spectator. So a specimen is something you put on show or keep for study — an example you 'look at' to learn about a whole group.