SPECIFIC
specific
(adjective) stated explicitly or in detail; âneeded a specific amountâ
specific
(adjective) (sometimes followed by âtoâ) applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique; ârules with specific applicationâ; âdemands specific to the jobâ; âa specific and detailed account of the accidentâ
specific
(adjective) being or affecting a disease produced by a particular microorganism or condition; used also of stains or dyes used in making microscope slides; âquinine is highly specific for malariaâ; âa specific remedyâ; âa specific stain is one having a specific affinity for particular structural elementsâ
specific
(adjective) relating to or distinguishing or constituting a taxonomic species; âspecific charactersâ
specific
(noun) a medicine that has a mitigating effect on a specific disease; âquinine is a specific for malariaâ
particular, specific
(noun) a fact about some part (as opposed to general); âhe always reasons from the particular to the generalâ
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
specific (comparative more specific, superlative most specific)
explicit or definite
(sciences) Pertaining to a species.
(taxonomy) pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
special, distinctive or unique
intended for, or applying to, a particular thing
Serving to identify a particular thing (often a disease or condition), with little risk of mistaking something else for it.
being a remedy for a particular disease
(immunology) limited to a particular antibody or antigen
(physics) of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy)
(physics) similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)
(physics) a measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air)
Synonyms
• (explicit, definite): express, monosemous, unambiguous; see also explicit
• (special, distinctive or unique): singular; see also unique
• (intended for a particular thing): peculiar, singular; see also specific
Antonyms
• unspecific, nonspecific
• (intended for a particular thing): broad, general, generic, universal; see also generic
• all-purpose
• general-purpose
• gross
• nonspecific
• non-specific
• overall
• pandemic
• widespread
Hyponyms
• application-specific
• array-specific
• browser-specific
• client-specific
• company-specific
• conspecific
• container-specific
• culture-specific
• database-specific
• domain-specific
• flight-specific
• Eclipse-specific
• HTTP-specific
• infraspecific
• interspecific
• intraspecific
• JSON-specific
• MySQL-specific
• OS-specific
• platform-specific
• problem-specific
• program-specific
• prostate-specific
• recording-specific
• serotonin-specific
• server-specific
• species-specific
• store-specific
• task-specific
• topic-specific
Noun
specific (plural specifics)
A distinguishing attribute or quality.
A remedy for a specific disease or condition.
Specification
(in the plural) The details; particulars.
Source: Wiktionary
Spe*cif"ic, a. Etym: [F. spécifique, or NL. cpesificus; L. species a
particular sort or kind + facere to make. Cf. Specify.]
1. Of or pertaining to a species; characterizing or constituting a
species; possessing the peculiar property or properties of a thing
which constitute its species, and distinguish it from other things;
as, the specific form of an animal or a plant; the specific qualities
of a drug; the specific distinction between virtue and vice.
Specific difference is that primary attribute which distinguishes
each species from one another. I. Watts.
2. Specifying; definite, or making definite; limited; precise;
discriminating; as, a specific statement.
3. (Med.)
Definition: Exerting a peculiar influence over any part of the body;
preventing or curing disease by a peculiar adaption, and not on
general principles; as, quinine is a specific medicine in cases of
malaria.
In fact, all medicines will be found specific in the perfection of
the science. Coleridge.
Specific character (Nat. Hist.), a characteristic or characteristics
distinguishing one species from every other species of the same
genus.
– Specific disease (Med.) (a) A disease which produces a
determinate definite effect upon the blood and tissues or upon some
special tissue. (b) A disease which is itself uniformly produced by a
definite and peculiar poison or organism.
– Specific duty. (Com.) See under Duty.
– Specific gravity. (Physics) See under Gravity.
– Specific heat (Physics), the quantity of heat required to raise
temperature of a body one degree, taking as the unit of measure the
quantity required to raise the same weight of water from zero to one
degree; thus, the specific heat of mercury is 0.033, that of water
being 1.000.
– Specific inductive capacity (Physics), the effect of a dielectric
body in producing static electric induction as compared with that of
some other body or bodies referred to as a standard.
– Specific legacy (Law), a bequest of a particular thing, as of a
particular animal or piece of furniture, specified and distinguished
from all others. Wharton. Burrill.
– Specific name (Nat., Hist.), the name which, appended to the name
of the genus, constitutes the distinctive name of the species; --
originally applied by LinnĂŠus to the essential character of the
species, or the essential difference. The present specific name he at
first called the trivial name.
– Specific performance (Law), the peformance of a contract or
agreement as decreed by a court of equity.
Spe*cif"ic, n.
1. (Med.)
Definition: A specific remedy. See Specific, a., 3.
His parents were weak enough to believe that the royal touch was a
specific for this malady. Macaulay.
2. Anything having peculiar adaption to the purpose to which it is
applied. Dr. H. More.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition