specimen

specimen — noun

1. A single thing, such as an animal, plant, or object, that shows the typical qual

1.nounB2
Definition

A single thing, such as an animal, plant, or object, that shows the typical qualities of the larger group it belongs to.

Example

The museum collection includes a fine specimen of a blue whale skeleton.

collocation: fine specimen of + [type]

Folake described the butterfly as a perfect specimen of its species.

Common collocations
  • fine specimen
  • perfect specimen
  • rare specimen
  • unusual specimen
  • living specimen
  • museum specimen
Synonyms
  • example

    wider use — covers actions, ideas, and abstract things, not just physical objects

  • sample

    focuses on a portion taken from a larger quantity for testing or examination

  • instance

    a specific occurrence or case, often for abstract categories

  • illustration

    something that makes a point clear, often used in explanations

Grammar Patterns

specimen + of [group]

Usage Note

Countable noun. Often paired with evaluative adjectives such as fine, perfect, rare, or unusual.

Common Mistakes

That politician is a fine specimen of a leader.
That politician is a fine example of a leader.
'Specimen' sounds cold or clinical when used for people, unless the tone is clearly humorous.

2. Body fluid or tissue taken from a patient or an animal for the purpose of labora

2.nounB1
Definition

Body fluid or tissue taken from a patient or an animal for the purpose of laboratory testing.

Example

The nurse collected a urine specimen from the patient for routine testing.

collocation: collect a specimen + for + [purpose]

Mayumi handed her blood specimen to the technician at the lab counter.

Common collocations
  • blood specimen
  • urine specimen
  • tissue specimen
  • stool specimen
  • collect a specimen
  • test a specimen
  • specimen container
Synonyms
  • sample

    more general — can refer to any portion taken for testing, not limited to body fluids

  • biopsy

    specifically a tissue specimen taken to check for disease, usually via a medical procedure

Grammar Patterns

collect + a + specimen + of + [fluid/tissue]

specimen + for + [test]

Usage Note

Countable noun. Common in medical and clinical contexts. Frequently paired with verbs such as collect, take, test, or examine.

Common Mistakes

The doctor took a specimen of my arm.
The doctor took a specimen of my blood.
Medical specimens are body fluids or tissues, not body parts.

specimen — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Specimen, sample, example, and instance all refer to something that represents a larger category, but differ in use. A specimen is a physical object or organism that shows the qualities of its group — used especially in science, museums, and medicine (a butterfly specimen, a blood specimen). A sample is a smaller portion taken from a larger whole for testing, with emphasis on quantity (a soil sample). An example is broader: any thing, action, or idea that illustrates a rule or type (an example of Baroque architecture). An instance is a specific occurrence, often for abstract categories (an instance of unfair treatment). If you find a rare flower in the forest, it is a fine specimen. If you take some pollen for testing, that is a sample. If you describe the flower to a friend, its picture works as an example. If it only blooms after rain, that bloom is an instance of the pattern.

specimen ↗sample ↗example ↗instance ↗

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Specimen comes from the Latin verb 'specere,' meaning 'to look at' or 'to see.' In Latin, 'specimen' originally meant 'a sign or a mark' — something you could examine to understand what kind of thing it stood for. English adopted the word in the early 1600s, first in scientific and scholarly writing, to describe something studied as a representative example of a larger group.