spec

See also: spèc', SPEC, and spec.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛk/

• Audio (Australia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛk
• Homophone: speck

Noun

spec (plural specs)

2. (colloquial) Clipping of specification.

   job spec

   The specs don't say anything about this behavior.

   • 2025 May 3, Kev, “Rocket Appartamento TCA Review”, in Coffee Blog‎^[1]:

     We'll go into more depth with all the specs shortly so anyone less well versed in espresso speak will understand what I'm harping on about, but firstly let's just talk about using the machine.

4. (colloquial) Clipping of speculation.
   • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:

     This is told in confidence to the servant-man or woman who opens the door—‘be so good as tell the lady as much,’ says the hawker, ‘for really I’m afraid to carry the goods much longer, and I have already sold enough to pay me well enough for my spec—go, there’s a good girl, tell your missus I have splendid goods, and am willing almost to give them away, and if we makes a deal of it, why I don’t mind giving you a handsome present for yourself.’

6. Clipping of specialization.
8. Clipping of specialist.
10. Clipping of spectrum.
12. (linguistics) Abbreviation of specifier.
14. (linguistics) Clipping of specifier.
16. (Australia, Australian rules football, informal) Clipping of spectacular mark, a type of catch in Australian rules football.

Derived terms

• acespec
• arospec
• a-spec
• high-spec
• mass spec
• mil-spec
• m-spec
• on spec
• speccy
• spec home
• spec pack
• spec script

Translations

short form of specification

• Finnish: speksi (fi)
• Russian: спеки m pl (speki)

short form of specialist

• Russian: спец (ru) (spec) (colloquial)

Verb

spec (third-person singular simple present specs, present participle speccing or spec'ing, simple past and past participle specced or spec'd)

1. (transitive) To specify, especially in a formal specification document.
   • 1999, George Buehler, The Troller Yacht Book:

     I've found some professional yards want everything specced out completely while a home builder will just do things the way he wants.

   • 1995, Fred Moody, I Sing the Body Electronic: A Year with Microsoft on the Multimedia Frontier:

     Could they still include the kinds of playful animations Ballinger had specced now that the scenes were more realistic-looking and less whimsical?

   • 2024 January 24, Pip Dunn, “Adventure on a GA Class 720 Aventra”, in RAIL, number 1001, page 53:

     And if that is my only criticism, then these trains are pretty well 'specced'. These are an out-and-out commuter train - fast, quiet, and well-designed for their role.

Derived terms

• spec out
• spec up

Translations

to specify

• Finnish: speksata
• Swedish: speca

Adjective

spec (not comparable)

2. Clipping of special. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
3. Clipping of specified.
4. Clipping of speculative.

See also

• spec evo
• spec ops

Anagrams

• CEPs, CPEs, CSPE, ECPs, EPCs, PESC, Pécs, ceps, pecs

Albanian

Alternative forms

• speckë — Tosk

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian spezie (“spices”), ultimately from Latin speciēs.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spɛt͡s/

Noun

spec m (plural speca, definite speci, definite plural specat)

1. (botany) pepper (Capsicum annuum)

   Synonym: piperkë

2. paprika
3. (figurative) (adjective) cranky

Declension

Declension of spec

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	spec	speci	speca	specat
accusative		specin
dative	speci	specit	specave	specave
ablative			specash

Synonyms

• gogozhare

Chinese

Etymology

From clipping of English specification.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spɛːk̚²/

Noun

spec

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) specification (Classifier: 隻／只 c)

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spet͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -et͡ʃ

Noun

speċ n

1. alternative form of spiċ

Polish

Etymology

Clipping of specjalista, though perhaps borrowed from Russian спе́ц (spéc), a clipping of специали́ст (specialíst).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈspɛt͡s/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛt͡s
• Syllabification: spec

Noun

spec m pers

1. (colloquial) specialist, expert

   Synonyms: specjalista, ekspert, fachowiec

Declension

Declension of spec

	singular	plural
nominative	spec	spece
genitive	speca	speców
dative	specowi	specom
accusative	speca	speców
instrumental	specem	specami
locative	specu	specach
vocative	specu	spece

Further reading

• “spec”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “spec”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)