specimen - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

A specimen stamp

Postcard: "Be careful, Clara, that's a fine specimen!" (eligible man)

From Latin specimen (“mark, sign, example”), from speciō (“observe, watch”).

specimen (plural specimens or (extremely rare) specimina)

  1. An individual instance that represents a class; an example.
    early specimens of the art of Picasso
    a specimen of my own handwriting
    • 1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 34:
      "You're a nice specimen for a clergyman," he said at length, "with your preachin" an" your psalm-singin', an" your Sunday coat on."
    • 2006, Bill Neal, Getting Away with Murder on the Texas Frontier:
      To assure a defendant's acquittal, a lawyer usually needed only to convince the jury that the victim was a pretty sorry specimen of a human being.
    1. (numismatics) A banknote printed for distribution to central banks to aid in the recognition of banknotes from a country other than their own
    2. (philately) A postage stamp sent to postmasters and postal administrations so that they are able to identify valid stamps and to avoid forgeries
    3. (derogatory) An unpleasant or contemptible person.
      such a loathsome specimen of humanity
  2. A sample, especially one used for diagnostic analysis.
  3. (humorous, often preceded with “fine”) An eligible man.

example

sample

specimen (plural specimens)

  1. specimen, sample

Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥

Latin specimen

From speciō (“observe, watch”) + -men (noun-forming suffix).

specimen n (genitive speciminis); third declension

  1. mark, token, sign, indication, specimen
  2. example, pattern, model
  3. ornament, honor

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

Borrowed from French spécimen.

specimen n (plural specimene)

  1. specimen