Word Study
specimen
CIDE DICTIONARY
specimen, n. [L., fr. specere to look, to behold. See Spy.].
A part, or small portion, of anything, or one of a number of things, intended to exhibit the kind and quality of the whole, or of what is not exhibited; a sample; as, a specimen of a man's handwriting; a specimen of a person's blood; a specimen of painting; aspecimen of one's art. [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Sample; model; pattern.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
specimen, n.
1 an individual or part taken as an example of a class or whole, esp. when used for investigation or scientific examination (specimens of copper ore; a specimen of your handwriting).
2 Med. a sample of urine for testing.
3 colloq. usu. derog. a person of a specified sort.
1 an individual or part taken as an example of a class or whole, esp. when used for investigation or scientific examination (specimens of copper ore; a specimen of your handwriting).
2 Med. a sample of urine for testing.
3 colloq. usu. derog. a person of a specified sort.
Etymology
L f. specere look
THESAURUS
specimen
case, case history, case in point, cross section, embodiment, example, exemplar, exponent, illustration, instance, little bite, little smack, model, pattern, piece, representation, representative, sample, sampling, sort, species, swatch, taste, taster, type, typification, varietyROGET THESAURUS
specimen
Conformity
N conformity, conformance, observance, habituation, naturalization, conventionality, agreement, example, instance, specimen, sample, quotation, exemplification, illustration, case in point, object lesson, elucidation, standard, model, pattern, rule, nature, principle, law, order of things, normal state, natural state, ordinary state, model state, normal condition, natural condition, ordinary condition, model condition, standing dish, standing order, Procrustean law, law of the Medes and Persians, hard and fast rule, conformable to rule, regular, according to regulation, according to rule, according to Hoyle, according to Cocker, according to Gunter, en regle, selon les regles, well regulated, orderly, symmetric, conventional, of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence, in the natural order of things, ordinary, common, habitual, usual, everyday, workaday, in the order of the day, naturalized, typical, normal, nominal, formal, canonical, orthodox, sound, strict, rigid, positive, uncompromising, Procrustean, secundum artem, shipshape, technical, exempIe, illustrative, in point, conformably, by rule, agreeably to, in conformity with, in accordance with, in keeping with, according to, consistently with, as usual, ad instar, instar omnium, more solito, more-majorum, for the sake of conformity, as a matter of course, of course, pro forma, for form's sake, by the card, invariably, for example, exempli gratia, e, g, inter alia, among other things, for instance, cela va sans dire, ex pede Herculem, noscitur a sociis, ne e quovis ligno Mercurius fiat, they are happy men whose natures sort with their v, The nail that sticks up hammered down, Tall poppy syndrome, Stick your neck out and it may get cut off.For further exploring for "specimen" in Webster Dictionary Online