SPECIFICS
Noun
specifics
plural of specific
Source: Wiktionary
SPECIFIC
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 Linnæus 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
Word of the Day
13 November 2024
OSTENSIBLE
(adjective) appearing as such but not necessarily so; “for all his apparent wealth he had no money to pay the rent”; “the committee investigated some apparent discrepancies”; “the ostensible truth of their theories”; “his seeming honesty”
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