Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - specimen

 noun  Etymology: Latin, from specere to look at, look — more at spy  Date: 1610  1.  a. 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 ~  2.  a. 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 ~  3. a plant grown for exhibition or in the open to display its full development ~ trees  Synonyms: see instance