specimen
noun
spec·i·men
ˈspe-sə-mən 
ˈspes-mən
1
a
: 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
2
a
: 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
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
That included a total of 52 brain specimens, 28 from 2016 and 24 from 2024.
—
Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
Similar organic molecules, including amino acids, have been detected in meteorites before, but these fragments of space rocks are imperfect specimens because they are studied after enduring fiery trips through Earth's atmosphere.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 29 Jan. 2025
Why meteorites matter Today, the Charlottetown meteorite is part of the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Collection, which houses more than 1,800 specimens — the largest of its kind in Canada.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
This first-time collaboration between the museums will provide specimens (and helpful magnifying glasses) to compare the real critters with their artistic representations.
—Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for specimen 
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Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
Similar organic molecules, including amino acids, have been detected in meteorites before, but these fragments of space rocks are imperfect specimens because they are studied after enduring fiery trips through Earth's atmosphere.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 29 Jan. 2025
Why meteorites matter Today, the Charlottetown meteorite is part of the University of Alberta’s Meteorite Collection, which houses more than 1,800 specimens — the largest of its kind in Canada.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
This first-time collaboration between the museums will provide specimens (and helpful magnifying glasses) to compare the real critters with their artistic representations.
—Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for specimen
Articles Related to specimen
Dictionary Entries Near specimen
Cite this Entry
“Specimen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/specimen. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
specimen
noun
spec·i·men
ˈspes-(ə-)mən
1
: a part or a single thing that shows what the whole thing or group is like : sample
2
: a portion of material for use in testing or examination
a blood specimen
3
: person sense 1, individual
he's a tough specimen
Medical Definition
specimen
noun
spec·i·men
ˈspes-(ə-)mən
1
: an individual, item, or part typical of a group, class, or whole
2
: a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study
a urine specimen
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