specimen
word
/ˈspɛsəmən/
SPE-suh-muhn
/spˈɛsɪmən/
SPE-si-muhn
Definition
A specimen is a sample of something, like an individual animal, plant, or object, used for scientific study or display.
Usage & Nuances
Usually formal or scientific. Common in labs ('blood specimen'), museums ('rare specimen'), or biology. Not used for food samples ('sample' is better). Sometimes 'specimen' can mean an example of a type, occasionally used humorously for people.
Spanish: ejemplar - muestra (de laboratorio)Portuguese (BR): amostra - espécimePortuguese (PT): amostra - espécimeChinese (Simplified): 样本 - 标本Chinese (Traditional): 樣本 - 標本Hindi: नमूनाArabic: عَيِّنَةBengali: নমুনা - উদাহরণ (বিষয়ে ব্যক্তি/বস্তু)Russian: образец - экземпляр (человек, шутливо)Japanese: 標本Vietnamese: mẫu vật - mẫuKorean: 표본 - 견본Turkish: numune - örnek (kişiler için, mizahi)Urdu: نمونہ - مثال (شخص کے لیے، مزاحیہ)Indonesian: mẫu vật - mẫu (người, hài hước)
Example Sentences
The doctor took a blood specimen for testing.
basic
The museum has a rare bird specimen on display.
basic
Scientists collected a soil specimen from the field.
basic
Each specimen was carefully labeled with a date and location.
natural
That guy is quite a specimen—did you see how much he can lift?
natural
Please submit a urine specimen at the front desk before you leave.
natural