specimen
Pluralspecimens
- 1A single thing that shows what a whole group is like.
Like one apple from a basket that shows what all the apples look like.
This rock is a fine specimen of the kind found in the valley.
The museum keeps one specimen of every local bird.
Similarexample, sample, exemplar, instance, representative
Note
- 2A small amount of something, like blood or urine, taken so it can be tested.
Like taking one spoonful from a pot of soup to taste if it needs salt.
The nurse took a blood specimen from his arm.
Please bring a urine specimen to your next appointment.
Similarsample
- 3A person you find nasty or hard to like.
That rude specimen pushed past everyone in line.
The landlord was a mean specimen who never returned a deposit.
Similarcharacter, creature, individual, type, customer
Note
- 4A sample banknote sent to banks in other countries to help them recognize real notes.
Like a sample key that shows guards what the real key looks like, but can't open any door.
The bank kept a foreign specimen on file to check incoming notes.
Collectors prize an old specimen because so few were ever released.
Note
- 5A sample stamp sent to post offices so workers can tell real stamps from fakes.
Like a poster of a real ticket on the wall so checkers know what a fake looks like.
The post office pinned a specimen to the wall for clerks to study.
Each country sent a specimen of its new stamp to the others.
Note
- 6
Practice
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Origin
From Latin specimen, meaning 'mark, sign, or example', which came from speciō, 'to observe or watch'.