specimen

plural specimens · plural rare specimina

1. An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

   a specimen of my own handwriting

   4 more examples

   early specimens of the art of Picasso

   "You're a nice specimen for a clergyman," he said at length, "with your preachin" an" your psalm-singin', an" your Sunday coat on."

   1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 34

   It has been a common misinterpretation by both Marxists and anti-Marxists to suppose that he regarded human beings merely as specimens of social classes, and that the 'restoration of their species-essence' meant the annihilation of individuality or its reduction to a common social nature.

   1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 161

   To assure a defendant's acquittal, a lawyer usually needed only to convince the jury that the victim was a pretty sorry specimen of a human being.

   2006, Bill Neal, Getting Away with Murder on the Texas Frontier

   1. hobbiesA banknote printed for distribution to central banks to aid in the recognition of banknotes from a country other than their own
   2. hobbiesA postage stamp sent to postmasters and postal administrations so that they are able to identify valid stamps and to avoid forgeries
   3. derogatoryAn unpleasant or contemptible person.

      such a loathsome specimen of humanity

2. A sample, especially one used for diagnostic analysis.
3. humorousoften preceded with “fine”An eligible man.