spe·cif·ic a.
 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 adaptation, 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 the 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 Linnaeus 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.

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 Du·ty n.; pl. Duties
 1. That which is due; payment. [Obs. as signifying a material thing.]
    When thou receivest money for thy labor or ware, thou receivest thy duty.   --Tyndale.
 2. That which a person is bound by moral obligation to do, or refrain from doing; that which one ought to do; service morally obligatory.
    Forgetting his duty toward God, his sovereign lord, and his country.   --Hallam.
 3. Hence, any assigned service or business; as, the duties of a policeman, or a soldier; to be on duty.
    With records sweet of duties done.   --Keble.
    To employ him on the hardest and most imperative duty.   --Hallam.
    Duty is a graver term than obligation. A duty hardly exists to do trivial things; but there may be an obligation to do them.   --C. J. Smith.
 4. Specifically, obedience or submission due to parents and superiors.
 5. Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage. “My duty to you.”
 6. Engin. The efficiency of an engine, especially a steam pumping engine, as measured by work done by a certain quantity of fuel; usually, the number of pounds of water lifted one foot by one bushel of coal (94 lbs. old standard), or by 1 cwt. (112 lbs., England, or 100 lbs., United States).
 7. Com. Tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government to be paid on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods.
 Note: ☞ An impost on land or other real estate, and on the stock of farmers, is not called a duty, but a direct tax. [U.S.]
 Ad valorem duty, a duty which is graded according to the cost, or market value, of the article taxed. See Ad valorem.
 Specific duty, a duty of a specific sum assessed on an article without reference to its value or market.
 On duty, actually engaged in the performance of one's assigned task.

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