spec

(′spes·ə·fə′kā·shənz)

(engineering) An organized listing of basic requirements for materials of construction, product compositions, dimensions, or test conditions; a number of organizations publish standards (for example, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Petroleum Institute, and American Society for Testing and Materials), and many companies have their own specifications. Also known as specs.
(industrial engineering) A quantitative description of the required characteristics of a device, machine, structure, product, or process.

---

View more Technology videos

(1) See specs and specification.

(2) (SPEC) (Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation, Warrenton, VA, www.specbench.org) An organization founded in 1988 to establish standard benchmarks for computers. Its first benchmark was a single CPU rating known as the "SPECmark," in which one SPECmark was equivalent in performance to a VAX 11/780. Although SPEC benchmarks continue to rate CPUs, SPEC has a variety of benchmarks to measure graphics subsystems, Java, Web servers, mail servers, application servers and file servers. Following are the SPEC names for current and retired CPU benchmarks. See benchmark.

  SPEC CPU BENCHMARKS

                            Floating
  Current         Integer    Point

  SPEC CPU2006    CINT2006   CFP2006


  Retired

  SPEC CPU2000    CINT2000   CFP2000
  SPEC CPU95      SPECint95  SPECfp95

Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your PC, iPhone or Android.

Documented requirements for a process, service, system, or product. For example, the specifications for a list rental selection would include the number of names desired, the selection criteria, the format for the output, such as address labels or magnetic tape, and the desired delivery date. It is always important that specifications be comprehensive and accurate. The specifications for a computer system or program would describe the available input and the required output, as well as any processes that should take place in between.

Detailed instructions provided in conjunction with plans and blueprints for construction. Specifications may stipulate the type of materials to be used, special construction techniques, dimensions, and colors.


Examples: The building specifications state that:

• number 3 lumber shall be used for all framing

• studs are to be on 16-inch centers

• all exterior surfaces shall be painted white

Previous:	Specific Performance, Specific Lien
Next:	Speculation, Speculative Building

A part of the contract documents contained in the project manual consisting of written descriptions of a technical nature of materials, equipment construction systems, standards, and workmanship. Under the uniform system, the specifications comprise sixteen divisions.

---

A document that itemizes pertinent information about a food, flavoring, or other ingredient. The specification sheet usually contains the name of the product, all numbers and codes associated with that name, and a description. The rest of the information varies according to the nature of the product and its intended use. For flavors, items could include salt or sodium content, fat content, moisture, solubility, microbiological assay, specific gravity, weight per gallon, optical rotation, refractive index, color, clarity, ingredient statement, non-flavoring ingredient declaration, mesh size, solubility, some nutritional data, sieve analysis, usage level, or other pertinent chemical or physical data. See Product Specifications, Specification Sheet, Nutritional Analysis.

---