specimen

noun
UK: /ˈspesɪmən/
US: /ˈspesɪmən/

  1. A small amount of something, often used for testing or analysis.

    1. I need a blood specimen to test for the virus.
    2. The scientist collected a soil specimen to analyze its composition in the lab.

  2. An individual animal, plant, piece of a mineral, etc., used as an example of its species or type for scientific study or display.

    1. This butterfly is a fine specimen of its kind.
    2. The museum has an impressive specimen of a dinosaur skeleton on display for visitors.

  3. A person, especially one considered worthy of study or attention because of some unusual quality.

    1. He's a strange specimen, always talking to himself.
    2. The writer described the main character as a curious specimen of human nature.

Synonyms

example model instance item sample

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "specimen" in English means: A small amount of something, often used for testing or analysis., An individual animal, plant, piece of a mineral, etc., used as an example of its species or type for scientific study or display., A person, especially one considered worthy of study or attention because of some unusual quality..

The phonetic transcription of "specimen" is /ˈspesɪmən/ in British English and /ˈspesɪmən/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "specimen": example, model, instance, item, sample.

Example usage of "specimen": "I need a blood specimen to test for the virus.". More examples on the page.