Logo
dictionary thesaurus

specimen

noun
spec·​i·​men | \ ˈspes-mən How to pronounce specimen (audio) , ˈspe-sə-\

Definition of specimen

1a : 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
2a : 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
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about specimen

Keep scrolling for more

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

 Gatewood, at 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds while drawing Cam Newton comparisons, may be more of a physical specimen and better runner than Nix at this point, but Nix appears to be a more polished passer — even for a true freshman. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, "Kenny Dillingham discusses Auburn quarterback race, judging Bo Nix and Joey Gatewood in practice," 15 Aug. 2019 Worthy and his team compared the leg bones to specimens and online images from various museums to whittle away at the list of potential species. — Jenny Howard, National Geographic, "This toddler-size parrot was a prehistoric oddity," 6 Aug. 2019 Even galleries, ordered spaces set aside for the display and enjoyment of a selection of specimens from the outside world, have a horticultural flavour. — J.w.s.w. | Berlin, The Economist, "The variegated symbolism of gardens in art," 1 Aug. 2019 The specimen, dubbed Apidima 1, was situated nose to nose just 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) away from a second human-like skull known as Apidima 2. — Stephanie Demarco, latimes.com, "210,000-year-old skull in Greece is earliest sign of modern humans in Europe or Asia," 10 July 2019 There's only one person that lived in that apartment complex who matched that unknown specimen taken from Tammy Welch … and that was James Jackson. — CBS News, ""To the families we owe justice": Inside NCIS' relentless quest to solve two cold case murders of Navy dependents," 3 July 2019 By looking at the Nasca Lines the way ornithologists would look at specimens, Eda and his colleagues managed to identify some particular species among the figures. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "New study takes a bird’s-eye view of the Nasca Lines," 20 June 2019 Natural specimens, together with ethnographic artifacts, were separated out for display in the Naturhistorisches Museum, which faces the Kunsthistorisches Museum with an identical façade. — Joseph Leo Koerner, The New York Review of Books, "In Love with Multiplicity," 23 May 2019 The trees are callery pears, the escaped offspring of landscape specimens and street trees from the neighborhood. — Adrian Higgins, The Seattle Times, "Scientists thought they had created the perfect tree. But it became a nightmare.," 17 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'specimen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of specimen

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for specimen

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

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for specimen

specimen

noun
How to pronounce specimen (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of specimen

: something (such as an animal or plant) collected as an example of a particular kind of thing
: a small amount or piece of something that can be tested or examined
: a notable example of something

See the full definition for specimen in the English Language Learners Dictionary

specimen

noun
spec·​i·​men | \ ˈspe-sə-mən How to pronounce specimen (audio) \

Kids Definition of specimen

1 : something collected as a sample or for examination
2 : a notable example of something The cathedral is a magnificent specimen of medieval architecture.
3 : an example of a type of person … the specimen of the British nobility present happened to be the most ordinary man of the party.— Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

WORD OF THE DAY

emancipation

play

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!