specimen
SPESS-uh-mun
/ˈspes.ə.mən/
An individual animal, plant, piece of material, or sample taken as a representative example for scientific examination or diagnostic testing.
Carries the implication that the sample reflects the characteristics of a larger whole or species.
The story behind the word. Derived directly from Latin specere ('to look at'), a specimen was originally an example shown to demonstrate proof or quality. Scientists adopted it in the 17th century to describe items collected specifically to be looked at under scrutiny.
Word relationships
- sample: Sample is a general term; specimen often implies a biological or preserved representative item for analysis.
- exemplar: Exemplar highlights an ideal model, while specimen is any representative scientific sample.
- whole: The entire entity rather than a extracted representative piece.
Commonly confused with
- spectacle: A spectacle is a visually striking public display, while a specimen is an individual scientific sample.
Word family
- specimens (noun): Plural form referring to multiple representative samples.
Collocations
- collect a specimen
- biological specimen
- blood specimen
- pristine specimen
Example sentences
- "I collected a fine specimen of this curious spider." Natural History (Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle (1839))
- "The tissue specimen was preserved in formalin before being sectioned for microscopic analysis." Pathology
Memory hook
A SPECimen is something you INSPECT with your eyes. A sample set aside to look at.
When not to use
Do not use when referring to mass raw materials in bulk storage without scientific sample intent.
Fun facts
- In bank terminology, a 'specimen check' or 'specimen signature' is an official sample used for verification.
Related words
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