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specimen

specimen

107 4.1
An example people keep for study, like a plant or animal
  • noun
  • /ˈspɛsɪmən/
translation icon : ejemplar
  • During the field trip, the students collected a specimen of the rare flower to study its features.
  • collect specimens
  • identify specimens
  • type specimen

This also isn't the only specimen we have like this.

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Examples

  • 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.

  • Well, at least we got one live specimen.

  • Is the specimen ready for cleaning?

  • We got three fine specimens sitting right there.

  • We lost all our research in the fire, all our specimens, everything.

  • You never told me you were hiding such a beautiful specimen.

  • Yeah, these are pretty impressive specimens for sure.

  • Doctor, examine this alien specimen.

Synonyms

sample
vsspecimen
2.3

A small part taken from something to test or study

is an individual example kept or shown for scientific study or display

Compounds

type specimen
  • Specialized
1 9.1

An animal or plant kept as the original example for naming a new species

cytologic specimen
  • Specialized
8.0

A sample of cells taken from the body for examination under a microscope

A living thing from the sea kept for study or museum display

9.6

A piece of metal prepared by polishing and acid treatment to see its structure under a microscope

specimen bottle
  • Specialized
4.2

A small bottle for collecting and keeping medical samples like urine

How Representative

archetype
25 7.4
exemplar
16 7.2
sample
2.3
specimen
107 4.1
example
34 1.0

Surface Forms

specimen singular
specimens plural

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.