spec

noun

\ ˈspek

How to pronounce spec (audio)

\

Definition of spec

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : specification —usually used in plural also : a single quantity (such as a dimension or a measure of performance) describing a product especially as part of a specification

2 : speculation built the house on spec

spec

verb

specced or spec'd\ ˈspekt

How to pronounce spec'd (audio)

\; speccing

Definition of spec (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

: to write specifications for

spec

abbreviation

Definition of spec (Entry 3 of 3)

1 special; specialist

2 specifically

Examples of spec in a Sentence

Noun

parts built according to spec

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Taylor has worked alongside the West African mill workers, having installed state-of-the-art machinery to process the wood to Taylor’s specs, and trains Crelicam employees to operate and maintain the machines. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Taylor Guitars’ ‘Ebony Project’ continues to save trees in Africa," 13 June 2019 The underside is bright yellow or orange with black specs. — Rebecca Jepsen, The Mercury News, "Love ’em or hate ’em, snakes are good for your garden," 12 June 2019 As one of the only primary components on the current car that is not spec, IndyCar teams invest heavily in evolving damper technology. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Frustration mounting at Foyt; team prepares to make changes," 12 June 2019 Surface 2 Laptop starts at $999 MacBook Air Alternative After years of neglect, the MacBook Air was updated in 2018 with a refined look, improved specs, and a high-resolution display. — Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, "The Best Alternatives to Apple's Mac and MacBook," 5 June 2019 Chevy says the new Trailblazer will arrive at dealerships in early 2020, with pricing and full specs to be released closer to that on-sale date. — Daniel Golson, Car and Driver, "The Chevrolet Trailblazer Is Back, and It Now Splits the Difference between Trax and Equinox," 29 May 2019 So are startups such as Rivian, which has released a sleek concept with staggering specs such as a three-second 0 to 60 time. — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, "Here Come the Electric Pickup Trucks," 17 Jan. 2019 That honor goes to the $2,700 Samsung W2019, which, believe it or not, is a dual-screen flip phone with flagship specs and some ultra-luxury add-ons like a Samsung concierge service. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Samsung’s foldable smartphone reportedly costs $1,770, launches in March," 12 Nov. 2018 But Samsung wisely doubled down on specs and performance, outfitting the Note 9 with a massive (and as of yet, non-explosive) battery that seemed to be just what fans of the over-the-top smartphone were looking for. — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Samsung," 26 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Asus Gaming stuff inside Inside the Mothership, Asus specs a mobile Core i9-8950HK chip and Nvidia’s brand new GeForce RTX 2080. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "No, really: Asus' crazy ROG Mothership is like a Surface Pro for gaming," 6 Jan. 2019 The developer who sold a Los Angeles spec home to Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores for $100 million in 2016 is listing another property for $135 million. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "Los Angeles Mansion Shoots for a Record $135 Million," 12 June 2018 As with most ultrabooks, the more you it spec-out, the shorter the battery life becomes: Dell estimates that the base model of the XPS 13 with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage will last nearly 20 hours on a single charge. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "XPS 13 2018 review: Dell’s improvements propel this laptop forward," 24 Feb. 2018 Now, there's an easier way—simply spec your Mustang GT from the factory with the $6,500 Performance Pack 2. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "We went to drive the new Ford Mustang—but a tornado messed things up," 17 May 2018 In fact, the 195.9-inch long 2019 ES specs out closer to the 1990 Lexus LS 400 flagship than the first ES 250. — Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, "Posher, sleeker 2019 Lexus ES will have Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa," 16 June 2018 The idea is meant to speed up the development process compared to the old model, in which a contractor builds the item to spec only after the design has been proven during testing. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Pentagon Doesn't Know How Much Anything Costs," 4 June 2018 Dedicated track rats may want to spec the C’s $8950 carbon-ceramic brakes and a set of grippier ultra-performance tires for $600, and hedonists may be interested in fancier paint, interior-trim upgrades, or one of AMG’s extra styling packages. — Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, "2018 Mercedes-AMG GT C / GT C Roadster / GT R," 7 Mar. 2018 For details on features, pricing or to spec out your own, go to http://bit.ly/2019Ram1500 Going long Among the most significant changes in the 2019 Ram 1500 is the four-inch extension of crew cabs. — Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, "Ram scores first strike as roomier, cushier all-new 2019 Ram 1500 begins shipping," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spec.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about spec

Dictionary Entries near spec

special ability

Statistics for spec

Last Updated

18 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for spec

The first known use of spec was in 1926

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More Definitions for spec

spec

noun

English Language Learners Definition of spec

: a detailed description of work to be done or materials to be used in a project

See the full definition for spec in the English Language Learners Dictionary

spec

transitive verb

\ ˈspek\

specced or spec'd\ ˈspekt

\; speccing\ ˈspe-kiŋ \

Legal Definition of spec

: to write specifications for

WORD OF THE DAY

gritty

showing courage and determination

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