An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. Clearly defined or identified; precise; particular.
   

2. Belonging or relating uniquely to a particular subject; not general.
   

3. Biology: Relating to species or a species.
   

4. Physics: Of or denoting a physical quantity expressed in terms of a unit mass, volume, or other measure, in order to give a value independent of the properties or scale of the particular system studied. → specific angular momentum; → specific charge; → specific density; → specific gravity; → specific heat; → specific humidity; → specific intensity; → specific volume.

Etymology (EN): From Fr. spécifique and directly from L.L. specificus “constituting a kind or sort,” from L. species “kind, sort,” → species.

Etymology (PE): Âbizé, from Mid.Pers. apēcak “pure, sacred” (older form of vižé, → special), from *apa-vēcak “set apart,” from prefix apa- + vēcak, from vēxtan (Mod.Pers. bixtan) “to detach, separate, sift, remove,” Av. vaēk- “to select, sort out, sift,” pr. vaēca-, Skt. vic-, vinakti “to sift, winnow, separate; to inquire.”