specimen
Other forms: specimens
A specimen is a sample of something, like a specimen of blood or body tissue that is taken for medical testing.
The noun specimen comes from the Latin word specere, meaning “to look.” Biologists collect specimens so they can get a better look at something to study it. The idea is that, with a good specimen, you can learn about an entire group: it's a good representation. That meaning is echoed in the slang use of specimen, a strong, healthy and attractive person.
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a bit of tissue or blood or urine that is taken for diagnostic purposes“they collected a urine specimen for urinalysis”types:cytologic specimena specimen used for cytologic examination and diagnosiscytologic smear, cytosmear, smeara thin tissue or blood sample spread on a glass slide and stained for cytologic examination and diagnosis under a microscopetype of:sampleall or part of a natural object that is collected and preserved as an example of its class
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an example regarded as typical of its classtype of:example, illustration, instance, representativean item of information that is typical of a class or group
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Vocabulary lists containing specimen
American Heritage Dictionaries normally feature about 70,000 entries. From that multitude, the editors have chosen 100 words that are neither obscure nor outlandish that could give middle schoolers more aplomb and aptitude in their verbal encounters. If you're not sure whether that is something you need, study this list. Words selected by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
The words on this list all derive from the Latin verb specere, meaning "to look." Here are links to the complete set of Common Senses lists: Hearing: Phon / Aud / Son Sight: Vid, Vis / Spec, Spect, Spic / Op, Ops, Opt Touch: Path / Sent, Sens / Tact, Tang
In this classic novel, a pig named Wilbur befriends a spider, who attempts to save his life.