Standard Lemma guide

specimen

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈspɛsɪmɪn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S P EH1 S AH0 M AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • early specimens of the art of Picasso
  • a specimen of my own handwriting

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

A banknote printed for distribution to central banks to aid in the recognition of banknotes from a country other than their own

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, numismatics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

A postage stamp sent to postmasters and postal administrations so that they are able to identify valid stamps and to avoid forgeries

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, philately

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

An unpleasant or contemptible person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory

Examples

  • such a loathsome specimen of humanity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A sample, especially one used for diagnostic analysis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An eligible man.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous

Qualifier: often preceded with “fine”

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a bit of tissue or blood or urine that is taken for diagnostic purposes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they collected a urine specimen for urinalysis

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sample

Narrower terms: cytologic specimen

8

noun

Meaning 8

an example regarded as typical of its class

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: example, illustration, instance, representative

History

Etymology

From Latin specimen (“mark, sign, example”), from speciō (“observe, watch”).

Across languages

Translations

66 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Creole English: kodenguu — example
  • Armenian: օրինակ (ōrinak) — example
  • Armenian: նմուշ (nmuš) — example
  • Azerbaijani: nümunə — example
  • Bulgarian: образец (obrazec) — example
  • Catalan: espècimen — example
  • Chinese Mandarin: 樣本 /样本 (yàngběn) — example
  • Czech: ukázka — example
  • Czech: exemplář — example
  • Danish: eksemplar — example
  • Dutch: voorbeeld — example
  • Finnish: esimerkki — example
  • French: spécimen — example
  • French: exemple — example
  • German: Exemplar — example
  • German: Muster — example
  • Greek: δείγμα (deígma) — example
  • Hungarian: példány — example
  • Icelandic: sýnataka — example
  • Italian: esemplare — example
  • Japanese: 見本 (mihon) — example
  • Korean: 표본 (pyobon) — example
  • Latin: specimen — example
  • Polish: przykład — example
  • Polish: okaz — example
  • Polish: osobnik — example
  • Portuguese: espécime — example
  • Portuguese: exemplar — example
  • Romanian: specimen — example
  • Romanian: exemplar — example
  • Russian: образе́ц (obrazéc) — example
  • Russian: экземпля́р (ekzɛmpljár) — example
  • Scottish Gaelic: sampall — example
  • Spanish: espécimen — example
  • Swedish: exemplar — example
  • Azerbaijani: nümunə — sample
  • Bhojpuri: नमूना (namūnā) — sample
  • Bulgarian: проба (proba) — sample
  • Chinese Mandarin: 標本 /标本 (biāoběn) — sample
  • Czech: vzorek — sample
  • Dutch: specimen — sample
  • Finnish: näyte — sample
  • Finnish: näytepala — sample
  • French: exemple — sample
  • German: Spezimen — sample
  • German: Probe — sample
  • Greek: δείγμα (deígma) — sample
  • Hungarian: minta — sample
  • Ido: specimeno — sample
  • Indonesian: spesimen — sample
  • Italian: campione — sample
  • Japanese: 標本 (hyōhon) — sample
  • Korean: 표본 (pyobon) — sample
  • Māori: pota — sample
  • Plautdietsch: Proow — sample
  • Polish: próbka — sample
  • Portuguese: exemplar — sample
  • Portuguese: amostra — sample
  • Russian: препара́т (preparát) — sample
  • Russian: про́ба (próba) — sample
  • Scottish Gaelic: sampall — sample
  • Spanish: ejemplar — sample
  • Swedish: specimen — sample
  • Vietnamese: mẫu vật — sample
  • Italian: esemplare — jocular: an eligible man
  • Russian: экземпля́р (ekzempljár) — jocular: an eligible man
Real reading context

specimen in complete knowledge articles