Definition of "specimen" []

• An individual, item, or part representative of a class, genus, or whole. See Synonyms at example. (noun)
• A sample, as of tissue, blood, or urine, used for analysis and diagnosis. (noun)
• Informal An individual; a person: a disagreeable specimen. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "All in all, this specimen is a strong contender for the second finest of the eight [now nine] known examples, despite the minor corrosion."
• "Given that some are invasive, only a specialist would be able to determine whether a specimen is a known endemic, an introduced species, or an undescribed species."
• "Discovered in mid-May 2007, the specimen is awaiting formal description once additional data is collected."