Specimen
Origin
Latin, from specere to look at, look
Definitions
- 1a : an individual, item, or part considered typical of a group, class, or whole
- b : a portion or quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study <a urine specimen>
- 2a : something that obviously belongs to a particular category but is noticed by reason of an individual distinguishing characteristic
- b : person, individual <he's a tough specimen>
- 3: a plant grown for exhibition or in the open to display its full development <specimen trees>
Description
A laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, plant, part of a plant, or microorganism used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or subspecies. When a taxon is described, it is typically based on a single specimen, then referred to as the holotype.
- Medical laboratory
A sample taken from a patient, most frequently blood, urine, or semen.
- Geology
A piece of a type of rock or mineral taken from the earth. This can be anything from a jasper to a diamond.
- Typography
A type specimen is a publication that shows the available glyphs in a typeface, including variations used for ligatures and special ornaments.
In handwriting recognition, forensic handwriting analysis and signature verification, the term sample refers to a specimen of handwriting.
Central Banks send so-called specimen banknote (or specimens) to other banks before issuing a new banknote. To avoid its use as a legal tender note the banknote is perforated or punched, given a serial number of 0.9999999999 (all nines) or 0000000000 (all zeroes) or is overprinted with the word Specimen or Cancelled in any language.
References
- Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary
- Hauser, Steiner, Holstein, and Scoble (2005). Digital Imaging of Biological Type Specimens: A Manual of Best Practice. State Museum of Natural History. ISBN 3000172408.
