1. An individual, item, or part representative of a class, genus, or whole. See synonyms at example.
2. A sample, as of tissue, blood, or urine, used for analysis and diagnosis.
3. Informal. An individual; a person: a disagreeable specimen.

[Latin, example, from specere, to look at.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.