3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Specific  \Spe*cif"ic\,  a.  [F.  sp['e]cifique,  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.)  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  Linn[ae]us  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Specific  \Spe*cif"ic\,  n. 
  1.  (Med.)  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 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  specific 
  adj  1:  (sometimes  followed  by  `to')  applying  to  or  characterized  by 
  or  distinguishing  something  particular  or  special  or 
  unique;  "rules  with  specific  application";  "demands 
  specific  to  the  job";  "a  specific  and  detailed  account 
  of  the  accident"  [ant:  {general},  {nonspecific}] 
  2:  stated  explicitly  or  in  detail;  "needed  a  specific  amount" 
  3:  relating  to  or  distinguishing  or  constituting  a  taxonomic 
  species;  "specific  characters" 
  4:  (med  and  pathology)  being  or  affecting  a  disease  produced  by 
  a  particular  microorganism  or  condition;  used  also  of 
  stains  or  dyes  used  in  making  microscope  slides;  "quinine 
  is  highly  specific  for  malaria";  "a  specific  remedy";  "a 
  specific  stain  is  one  having  a  specific  affinity  for 
  particular  structural  elements  [ant:  {nonspecific}] 
  n  1:  a  fact  about  some  part  (as  opposed  to  general);  "he  always 
  reasons  from  the  particular  to  the  general"  [syn:  {particular}] 
  [ant:  {general},  {general}] 
  2:  a  drug  that  has  a  mitigating  effect  on  a  specific  disease; 
  "quinine  is  a  specific  for  malaria" 

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