specialadj.adv.n.

Brit.

/ˈspɛʃl/, U.S.

/ˈspɛʃ(ə)l/

Forms: early Middle English spetial, early Middle English 1600s spetiale, Middle English speciel, Middle English speciele, Middle English specyalle, Middle English specyel, Middle English speschalle, Middle English spesial, Middle English spessyal, Middle English spesyal, Middle English sspecial, Middle English–1500s speciale, Middle English–1500s specialle, Middle English–1500s specyal, Middle English–1500s specyele, Middle English–1600s speciall, Middle English–1600s specyall, Middle English– special, 1500s spesyall, 1500s–1600s spetiall, 1600s speaciall, 1600s spesall, 1600s spetyall; Scottish pre-1700 spaschelle, pre-1700 speacialle, pre-1700 specaile, pre-1700 specale, pre-1700 speceale, pre-1700 speceall, pre-1700 speciale, pre-1700 speciall, pre-1700 specialle, pre-1700 speciell, pre-1700 specull, pre-1700 specyal, pre-1700 specyall, pre-1700 specyalle, pre-1700 specyelle, pre-1700 speseall, pre-1700 spesiall, pre-1700 spesialle, pre-1700 spessall, pre-1700 spessiall, pre-1700 spesyll, pre-1700 spetial, pre-1700 spetiall, pre-1700 spetiell, pre-1700 spetyall, pre-1700 spyciall, pre-1700 1700s– special, 1800s– speeshal (north-eastern), 1900s– speecial, 1900s– speeshul (Shetland), 1900s– speeshull (Shetland).

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French special, especial; Latin speciālis.

Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman speciall, speciel, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French special (second half of the 12th cent.; French spécial ), variants of Anglo-Norman especiall, especiel, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French especial particular as opposed to general (c1160), that has specific properties (c1165), (of a friend) particularly close or dear (c1235 or earlier), (in legal use) denoting a particular or distinctive instance or case of the thing, action, or person specified (late 13th cent. or earlier), specific (end of the 13th cent. or earlier), exceptional, especially valuable (1350 or earlier; > especial adj.), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin speciālis particular as opposed to general, specific, individual, belonging to or concerned with a particular species, in post-classical Latin also private, confidential (from 8th cent. in British sources; 13th cent. in continental sources), that has particular value, significance, or importance (from 8th cent. (frequently from 11th cent.) in British sources), dear, particularly loved (from 10th cent. in British sources) < speciēs species n. + -ālis -al suffix¹. Compare especial adj. and the Romance forms (with prosthetic e) cited at that entry.Compare Spanish †special, adjective (first half of the 13th cent.), Italian speciale, adjective (13th cent. as †speziale); also Middle Dutch speciael, adjective and adverb (Dutch speciaal), German spezial, adjective (15th cent. as †special; now chiefly as first element of compounds), speziell, adjective and adverb (18th cent. as †speciell). With the use as noun compare post-classical Latin specialis particular friend (5th cent.), Anglo-Norman special, Anglo-Norman and Middle French especial (masculine noun) particularly close or dear friend or associate (c1240 or earlier), (feminine noun) mistress, female lover (end of the 14th cent. or earlier).

A. adj.

1. Having a close or exclusive connection with a specified person, thing, or set; own, particular, individual.

a. Designating a person: particular or specific to the specified person or group, one's own. Now rare (in later use tending to merge with or be understood as sense A. 4a).With quot. ?c1225 cf. quot. c1230 at sense A. 2a, from a different version of the same text.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > [adjective] > related or connected > closely related > of persons

special?c1225

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 47 Nule ich naut þet ani seo ow bute leaue habbe of ouwer special meister.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Deut. vii. 6 Þat þou be to hym aspesial peple [L. sis ei populus peculiaris].

c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 238 [The] king of Napples, mon..mak..oblissing to the pape, as speciale lord souerane till him.

1508 W. Kennedy Flyting (Chepman & Myllar) in Poems W. Dunbar (1998) I. 214 I am the kingis blude, his trew speciall clerk.

1588 in D. Masson Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1881) 1st Ser. IV. 287 Drawing in of strangearis, and, to preoccupat thair arryvall, hes causit his speciall kynnismen and houshald servandis surprise and occupy his Hienes awne houssis.

1611 Bible (King James) Deut. vii. 6 The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people vnto himselfe.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. i. 171 To Eltam will I, where the young King is, Being ordayn'd his speciall Gouernor.

1737 R. Challoner Catholick Christian Instructed xxiii. 213 In this Nation we keep the Days of St. Thomas of Canterbury, and of St. George, as our special Patrons.

a1766 J. Leland Disc. Var. Subj. (1769) III. xx. 402 Two of the Evangelists, Matthew and John, were Christ's Apostles, who were his special Intimates, and constantly attended him in his personal Ministry.

1898 T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin i. ii I always looked upon him as my special paid henchman.

1947 W. A. Chalfant Gold, Guns, & Ghost Towns 67 The sporting fraternity were his special admirers.

b. Designating a thing: specific, individual, or particular to the specified person, thing, or set. Now rare (in later use tending to merge with or be understood as sense A. 4a).

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > [adjective] > related or connected > closely related

speciala1398

sib?1507

affined1586

cousin1590

affine1614

incorporatea1616

vehementa1626

intimate1692

affinitive1745

affiliate1800

affinal1834

proximate1985

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. viii. 70 We may take þe principal and special propirtees of þis ordre.

1484 W. Caxton tr. Ordre of Chyualry (1926) vii. 113 The comyn wele is gretter and more necessary than propre good and specyall.

1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Luke v. f. 54^v The propre and moste speciall office of suche an one.

1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball ii. xliv. 202 Floures..without any speciall smell.

1583 T. Nicols Pleasant Descr. Ilands of Canaria sig. Bij^v Their language was speciall, and not mixed with Romane speech or Arabian.

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 434 Sprots salted haue a special propertie to heal the biting of the beetle or venomous fly Prester.

1675 N. Grew Compar. Anat. Trunks ii. iv. 59 The specifying of the Sap dependeth chiefly on the special nature of the parts.

1725 J. Sedgwick New Treat. Liquors ii. 29 The special Entrance and Ingress of the receptant diluting Fluid, is in no wise attainable, or absolutely material.

1739 P. Keir Enq. Medicinal Waters Bristol i. 36 The special nature of this salt, which in chalybeat waters appears evidently to be acid.

1855 J. McCosh Method Divine Govt. (ed. 4) iii. i. 296 Every intuitive principle in our constitution has its special truth to reveal and sanction.

1870 J. Yeats Nat. Hist. Commerce 1 Each region has its special treasures.

1911 in P. Farrer Confid. Corr. on Cross Dressing (1997) 15 I had to have a regular wardrobe of girl's underclothing for my special use, for winter and summer wear.

1965 C. K. Keck Handbk. on Care of Paintings i. 15 This means of scientific examination causes materials to fluoresce according to their special properties.

c. Particular, specific, or individual to a single person, thing, or set.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > [adjective] > related or connected > related to

siba1200

special1561

1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. iv. f. 20 He speaketh not there of the ordinary choosing of ministers, but chalengeth to hymselfe y^t which was special to the Apostles.

1565 A. Nowell Reproufe f. 41 One woorde that is speciall to the Bishop of Rome onelie.

1604 T. Bilson Suruey Christs Sufferings 532 That which is speciall to the wicked, as reiection from the fauour and grace of God.

1689 J. Canaries Serm. Edinb. 35 Whatever other they shall assume, as their peculiar, will sound as much more big, as its being Special to them, will render it more deserving that it should.

1710 J. Asgill Assertion 12 This Entail was thus special to the Tribe of Judah only, exclusive of the other Tribes.

1788 J. Berkenhout First Lines Theory & Pract. Philos. Chem. ii. 203 A complete laboratory..containing, beside the peculiar utensils and instruments of chemistry, a variety of implements special to other arts, and many that are common to all.

1871 J. Ruskin Arrows of Chace (1880) I. 227 Nearly every great church in France has some merit special to itself.

1894 Nature's Method in Evol. Life vii. 77 The new force special to the whale.

1960 Times 29 Sept. (Nigeria Suppl.) p. xxi/5 But two other local races special to Nigeria, of that curious little pithy-haired antelope, the Klipspringer,..seem doomed.

1972 National Geographic Sept. 438/2 We used to have a number of animals that were special to the Isle of Man.

2010 Church Times 26 Mar. 24/3 Edward's solution concentrates on the material special to Luke's Gospel.

a. Having an individual, particular, or limited application, object, or intention; affecting or concerning a single person, thing, group, etc.special intention: see intention n. 12b.With quot. c1230 cf. quot. ?c1225 at sense A. 1a, from a different version of the same text.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [adjective]

specialc1230

particulara1387

especialc1400

appropriated1619

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [adjective] > appointed for a special purpose

specialc1230

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [adjective] > belonging to a particular thing or person

specialc1230

proper1340

peculiara1475

specifical?a1475

singular?a1513

private1526

privy1560

personed1565

individual1570

particular1582

idiotical1655

specific1665

sacred1667

specific1667

specifiala1670

idiomatic1771

idiomatical1774

appropriate1796

exclusive1804

propriate1820

especial1854

dedicated1969

c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 33 Nulle ich þet nan iseo ow bute he habbe of ower meistre spetiale leaue.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 15 Hit wes ine þe mayde Marie oþer ine zome oþren be special grace þet he hedde of god.

c1400 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1871) III. 441 Þai say furst, þat speciale prayere..is better þen generale.

1445–6 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Feb. 1445 §42. m. 6 That..a speciall commission be made to the chief justice of youre benche.

a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Giiii^v From you I receyued a letter whiche conteyned in it a specyall clause, That I sholde vse largesse.

1576 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent 290 Of a speciall intent and purpose to pray to God for raine.

1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice v. i. 292 There doe I giue to you..a speciall deede of gift.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 918 On which day this..came..without any special appointment, to the presse.

1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan ii. xxvi. 145 In which case there is no speciall Law ordained.

1764 R. Burn Hist. Poor Laws 194 To..distribute the same, together with other special benefactions, to such as shall have most need.

1802 W. Paley Nat. Theol. xv. 294 It is a special purpose, specially consulted throughout.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. vi. 51 He was sent to London charged with several special commissions of high importance.

1862 Sat. Rev. 8 Feb. 147 Popular theology dispenses with special knowledge as a key to difficulties.

1954 K. Amis Lucky Jim iii. 27 Have you got that syllabus together..the list of stuff for your special subject next year?

1971 P. D. James Shroud for Nightingale vii. 243 He might well have told his special nurse or blurted it out in his delirium.

2006 Daily Tel. 30 June 15/7 The parliament in Buenos Aires established a special commission with a brief to ‘Malvinise’ the country's political agenda.

b. Chiefly in predicative use. Entering into details or particulars; precise, specific. Somewhat rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > [adjective] > going into detail > detailed

specialc1449

particular1548

punctual1611

strict1645

syllabical1647

circumstantiate1649

circumstantiated1654

detaileda1779

intimate1817

inventorial1830

particularized1860

fine-grained1894

pinpoint1960

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > quality of being restricted or limited > [adjective]

narroweOE

restraint1445

modifiedc1485

limitate1541

restricteda1550

strait-laced1549

scant1556

circumcised1561

contract1561

restrained1578

determinate1586

limited1590

restrict1597

strict1597

confined1605

determineda1616

limitary1620

prescript1645

modificated1646

circumscribed1647

conscribed1654

limitated1654

reserved1654

coarctated1655

straiteneda1665

unabsolute1694

stinted1710

bounded1711

contracted1711

cramped1741

special1815

municipal1856

fine-cut1894

stingy1927

c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 214 Forto make..persoones come into remembraunce of a mater, ymagis and picturis seruen in a specialer maner than bokis doon.

1681 London Gaz. No. 1648/4 Providing always that the Libel..be special, as to a certain place..; and also be special as to the time.

1815 J. Bowles Claims of Established Church ii. 13 The Commission thus given to the Apostles..was extremely special and restricted with regard to the individuals appointed to act under it.

1848 J. T. White Xenophon's Anab. (1872) iii. iv. §15 Notes 174 Zeune refers the term to their imitating the Scythians in the mode of discharging the arrow; but this is too special.

1876 E. Mellor Priesthood viii. 348 This confession must not only be general, but special, involving a minute description of all the circumstances in which the sins were committed.

1907 Jrnl. Electr., Power & Gas 30 Nov. 462/2 If university courses become too special.., specialists only of considerable experience will be competent to give such instruction.

1965 N. J. Hicks Notes Differential Geom. ii. 18 In a very real sense, this chapter and the next are too special, i.e., much of the theory belongs to an arbitrary submanifold of a ‘semi-Riemannian’ manifold.

3. Exceptional in quality or degree; unusual; out of the ordinary; esp. excelling in some (usually positive) quality; exceptionally good.

a. Of an abstract concept, immaterial thing, etc.: out of the ordinary, unusual; exceptional in quality or degree.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective]

faireOE

bremea1000

goodlyOE

goodfulc1275

noblec1300

pricec1300

specialc1325

gentlec1330

fine?c1335

singulara1340

thrivena1350

thriven and throa1350

gaya1375

properc1380

before-passinga1382

daintiful1393

principala1398

gradelya1400

burlyc1400

daintyc1400

thrivingc1400

voundec1400

virtuousc1425

hathelc1440

curiousc1475

singlerc1500

beautiful1502

rare?a1534

gallant1539

eximious1547

jolly1548

egregious?c1550

jellyc1560

goodlike1562

brawc1565

of worth1576

brave?1577

surprising1580

finger-licking1584

admirablea1586

excellinga1586

ambrosial1598

sublimated1603

excellent1604

valiant1604

fabulous1609

pure1609

starryc1610

topgallant1613

lovely1614

soaringa1616

twanging1616

preclarent1623

primea1637

prestantious1638

splendid1644

sterling1647

licking1648

spankinga1666

rattling1690

tearing1693

famous1695

capital1713

yrare1737

pure and —1742

daisy1757

immense1762

elegant1764

super-extra1774

trimming1778

grand1781

gallows1789

budgeree1793

crack1793

dandy1794

first rate1799

smick-smack1802

severe1805

neat1806

swell1810

stamming1814

divine1818

great1818

slap-up1823

slapping1825

high-grade1826

supernacular1828

heavenly1831

jam-up1832

slick1833

rip-roaring1834

boss1836

lummy1838

flash1840

slap1840

tall1840

high-graded1841

awful1843

way up1843

exalting1844

hot1845

ripsnorting1846

clipping1848

stupendous1848

stunning1849

raving1850

shrewd1851

jammy1853

slashing1854

rip-staving1856

ripping1858

screaming1859

up to dick1863

nifty1865

premier cru1866

slap-bang1866

clinking1868

marvellous1868

rorty1868

terrific1871

spiffing1872

all wool and a yard wide1882

gorgeous1883

nailing1883

stellar1883

gaudy1884

fizzing1885

réussi1885

ding-dong1887

jim-dandy1888

extra-special1889

yum-yum1890

out of sight1891

outasight1893

smooth1893

corking1895

large1895

super1895

hot dog1896

to die for1898

yummy1899

deevy1900

peachy1900

hi1901

v.g.1901

v.h.c.1901

divvy1903

doozy1903

game ball1905

goodo1905

bosker1906

crackerjack1910

smashinga1911

jake1914

keen1914

posh1914

bobby-dazzling1915

juicy1916

pie on1916

jakeloo1919

snodger1919

whizz-bang1920

wicked1920

four-star1921

wow1921

Rolls-Royce1922

whizz-bang1922

wizard1922

barry1923

nummy1923

ripe1923

shrieking1926

crazy1927

righteous1930

marvy1932

cool1933

plenty1933

brahmaa1935

smoking1934

solid1935

mellow1936

groovy1937

tough1937

bottler1938

fantastic1938

readyc1938

ridge1938

super-duper1938

extraordinaire1940

rumpty1940

sharp1940

dodger1941

grouse1941

perfecto1941

pipperoo1945

real gone1946

bosting1947

supersonic1947

whizzo1948

neato1951

peachy-keen1951

ridgey-dite1953

ridgy-didge1953

top1953

whizzing1953

badass1955

wild1955

belting1956

magic1956

bitching1957

swinging1958

ridiculous1959

a treat1959

fab1961

bad-assed1962

uptight1962

diggish1963

cracker1964

marv1964

radical1964

bakgat1965

unreal1965

pearly1966

together1968

safe1970

bad1971

brilliant1971

fabby1971

schmick1972

butt-kicking1973

ripper1973

Tiffany1973

bodacious1976

rad1976

kif1978

awesome1979

death1979

killer1979

fly1980

shiok1980

stonking1980

brill1981

dope1981

to die1982

mint1982

epic1983

kicking1983

fabbo1984

mega1985

ill1986

posho1989

pukka1991

lovely jubbly1992

awesomesauce2001

nang2002

bess2006

amazeballs2009

boasty2009

daebak2009

beaut2013

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > state of being noteworthy or remarkable > [adjective]

specialc1325

notablec1390

oddc1400

notary1421

insignec1465

rial1487

noteworthy1552

signal1591

remarkable1593

of note1596

memorated1631

distinguishable1720

nameable1780

markworthy1799

mad1941

pipperoo1945

ring-a-ding1960

pass-remarkable1974

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adjective] > special, extraordinary, or unusual

sunderlepeOE

specialc1325

strangec1330

undeemousa1400

outragec1400

singularc1400

stravagant1565

unusual1582

extraordinarya1586

remarkable1593

exordinary1601

peculiar1608

stupendous1640

eccentricala1652

particular1665

out-of-the-way1675

uncommon1705

awfy1724

exceptionable1801

tremendous1831

exceptional1846

exceptive1849

exceptionary1850

spesh1874

heart-stopping1891

off-brand1929

wild1955

cracker1964

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 8730 Special loue þer adde ibe er..Bituene him & þe kinges doȝter.

c1475 Advice to Lovers in J. O. Halliwell Select. Minor Poems J. Lydgate (1840) 44 Do almesse dedes where nede is specialle.

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection Pref. sig. Aiii This treatyse promisseth..thre greate prerogatiues or special benefites.

1573 G. Harvey Let.-bk. (1884) 1 Harti thanks for the..special gud wil which you have alwais..shewid me.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) iii. iv. 59 Let some of my people haue a speciall care of him.

1624 J. Ussher in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Lit. Men (1843) (Camden) 131 The first bookes that I shall have speciall neede of.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 1033 Mortals..whom God and good Angels guard by special grace.

1717 in Minutes of Evid. Nairne Peerage (1874) 145 in Sessional Papers House of Lords (H.L. D) XII. 199 With the special advice and consent of his said lady.

1781 W. Cowper Expostulation 631 The moles and bats in full assembly find, On special search, the keen-ey'd eagle blind.

1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian ix, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 235 As you say you have special reason to apprehend violence from them.

1857 W. A. Miller Elements Chem. III. ii. §4. 97 The foregoing facts..have a special interest.

1867 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. App. 635 Men of no special celebrity.

1925 Soil Surv. Putnam County, Indiana (U.S. Dept. Agric.) 6 In only a few places has any special effort been made to protect the forests or increase the production of timber.

1951 R. Firth Elements Social Organization i. 29 Special attention was..given to such important matters as the breadth of the educational ladder.

2013 Brattleboro (Vermont) Reformer (Nexis) 12 Mar. Combat awards are sacred, reflecting the special bravery of Americans who have been willing to sacrifice everything in the defense of the United States.

b. Of a material thing, event, etc.: out of the ordinary; excelling in some (usually positive) quality.

ΚΠ

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 234 Alneway habbeþ þe maydines ane speciale coroune.

c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 263 (MED) Þis Iohannes..come befor a speciall ymage of our Lady.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Jer. xxii. 7 I will prepare a destroyer..to hew downe thy special Cedre trees.

1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie ii. v. 35 Thinges most speciall and woorthie of memorie.

c1600 (c1350) Alisaunder (Greaves) (1929) 197 (MED) Der [perh. read ðer] sprong never spicerie so speciall in erþe.

1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 335 A speciall fountaine, into which God infused a wonderfull gift and vertue.

1685 N. Crouch Eng. Empire in Amer. xxii. 208 They have Horses so plentifull that a special one may be bought for six or seven pound.

1751 T. Smollett Peregrine Pickle II. lii. 117 The skin and feet of a special ram-cat, new flea'd.

a1794 M. Palmer Dialogue Devonshire Dial. (1839) 59 There is two special stubberd trees, vor making squab pies and lamb's wool.

1831 W. Scott Castle Dangerous i, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. III. 218 A few special spots excepted, the soil..was more and more mixed with the pastoral and woodland country.

1886 C. Scott Pract. Sheep-farming 74 It..is only advisable with some very special stock-ram, whose progeny are valuable.

1950 E. Hyams From Waste Land 204 Pamphlets issued by the French wine trade..to persuade the customer that the Red Biddy he is drinking is something very special and fine indeed.

1986 A. Stoddard Living Beautiful Life (1988) i. 3 ‘Rituals’ is my term for patterns you create in your everyday living that uplift the way you do ordinary things, so that a simple task rises to the level of something special.

2013 Evening Standard (Nexis) 13 Mar. 35 Choosing, wearing and talking about special shoes is part of a ritual for many of our shoppers in London.

c. Of a person: exceptionally good, talented, etc.; exceptional, outstanding, remarkable; (formerly also) spec. †notable, important, distinguished (obsolete).With use designating a person who is precious to the speaker (as e.g. quots. 1854, 1947) cf. also sense A. 5.In quot. 1830 colloquial: †particularly interested or informed (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [adjective] > worthy of notice

specialc1405

eminentc1420

markablec1449

noteworthy1552

regardable1572

respectable1584

of —— observation1587

considerable1589

of (great, little, etc.) mark1590

signal1591

remarkable1593

conspicuous1604

noble1604

observative1608

observable1609

significant1642

noteful1644

signalized1652

tall1655

curious1682

notice-worthy1713

unco1724

noticeable1793

handsome1813

epoch-forming1816

measurable1839

epochal1857

epoch-making1863

era-making1894

epoch-marking1895

high profile1950

landmark1959

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > familiarity > [adjective] > knowing about, familiar with

craftyOE

slyc1175

coutha1225

well acquainteda1250

privyc1300

cunningc1325

well-groundeda1438

acquainted?a1439

familiar1509

at home1531

overseen1533

intelligent1546

long-experienced1567

conversant1573

skilful1596

accomplished1603

frequent1609

well (better, best) verseda1610

understanding1612

sound1615

studieda1616

technical1617

versed1622

conversing1724

versant1787

on intimate habits1809

special1830

inquainted1849

pre-acquainted1907

sophisticated1952

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Parson's Tale (Ellesmere) (1877) §894 Whan they doon deedly synne they been the special traytours of god.

1461 H. Windsor in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 251 I shuld haue had as speciall and as gode a maister of you as any pour man.

?1504 S. Hawes Example of Vertu sig. hh.iii Our Sauyour Ihesu deere & specyall.

1591 in D. Masson Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1881) 1st Ser. IV. 623 The speciall and cheif personis of the said parochin.

1602 W. Fulbecke Pandectes 32 So did the Thebane state a long time florish..by the wisedome of Pelopidas, Epamondas, and other speciall men.

1639 T. Fuller Hist. Holy Warre ii. xl. 97 These proved excellent souldiers and speciall horsemen, and are called Mammalukes.

1655 in M. V. Hay Blairs Papers (1929) 87 God knouis best..what complents he hes mead..to others special persons with whome I haue frequently adow.

1747 B. Hoadly Suspicious Husband i. iii A special Acquaintance I have made to-day!

1784 E. Allen Reason ii. §8. 98 Yet it is hard for such persons, who have verily believed that they are elected (and thus by a predetermination of God become his special favorites) to give up their notions of a predetermination of all events.

1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd I. ii. v. 120 I ain't special 'bout pedigrees.

1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words II. 271 She's a special favourite.

1904 A. Griffiths Fifty Years Public Service xii. 169 A strong brigade of single workers, ‘special’ convicts, ‘blue dress men’ of exemplary conduct.

1947 Life 15 Sept. 131/2 (advt.) Doesn't this give you a wonderful Christmas idea for a very special little girl?

2013 Sunday Times (Nexis) 14 July (Sport section) 6 He cared about them. He made everybody feel that they were special.

a. Distinctive in some way; distinguished from others of the kind by a particular quality or feature; particular, specific.Frequently overlapping with sense A. 3.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adjective]

speciala1387

especialc1400

principal1417

peculiarc1449

extraordinaryc1460

enspeciala1533

individual1646

different1856

speciality1879

speshul1900

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 27 (MED) Eueriche prouince and londe is descryued for to me come to Britayne þe laste of alle, as most special.

a1400 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) 8320 Ȝyt ys þyr a specyal spece Þat doþ leccherye klymbe by a grece.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Parson's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) §414 Alle othere synnes ben som tyme agayns o special vertu, but certes enuye is agayns alle vertues.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Zech. xiv. 8 This shalbe that specyall daye, which is knowne vnto the Lorde.

1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 32 Seing it is the purpose of y^e Prophet to adorn Christ with such special notes as may builde our Faith vpon him.

1620 T. Granger Syntagma Logicum 43 Aristotle saith, a man is the most speciall.

1628 T. Spencer Art of Logick 131 That is most speciall, vnto which there can be no other Species inferior.

1725 I. Watts Logick i. iii. §3 A special Idea is call'd by the Schools, a Species.

1768 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued II. ii. 276 As well in entire systems as in their sundry parts, yea, members, and moreover, the speciallest species of them.

1841 Penny Cycl. XXI. 178/2 Secreted in a particular part of plants for a special purpose.

1854 M. Evans tr. L. Feuerbach Essence Christianity iii. 44 God as God..has no more significance for religion than a fundamental general principle has for a special science.

1861 M. Pattison in Westm. Rev. Apr. 415 The Germans..maintained in it an altar, and had their own masses said in it on special days.

1884 J. Sully Outl. Psychol. xii. 553 The order of development of the special sensibilities..concerned.

1922 E. von Arnim Enchanted April (1989) 318 We arranged not to write to each other unless there was something special. I wanted to have a month that was perfectly blank.

1974 Cape Times 1 Aug. 1/6 The United Party was thought to have the edge overall through having a commanding lead in the postal and special votes.

2004 Time Out N.Y. 30 Dec. 28/2 Corkage policies should be used only in very special circumstances.

b. Additional to the usual or ordinary.

ΚΠ

1835 Morning Chron. 21 Feb. His Excellency and suite left town for Liverpool, by the railway, a special train having been prepared for their accommodation.

1897 Jrnl. House Rep. Iowa 693 There is in the constitution no suggestion that there shall be a difference between the power of a regular session and a special or extra session.

1915 Indiana Univ. Bull. 15 May 13 A number of special lectures, on various topics of interest to law students, are given each semester by eminent members of the bench and bar.

1967 Listener 2 Nov. 570/3 On the subject of ‘pre-empting’—supplanting scheduled programmes in favour of special programmes of public interest—..he had some extremely interesting things to say.

2002 St. Louis (Missouri) Post-Dispatch (Nexis) 13 July 38 Smith recently held a special class at the West County YMCA in Chesterfield.

a. Of a friend: particularly close or dear.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > intimate or familiar > of friends: admitted to intimacy

speciala1387

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 9 Þan special frendes [L. sodalibus meis] þat knewe myn entent..prayed me besiliche, þat [etc.].

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13365 Þe bridgom did alle þider call His specialiest freindes all.

1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xiv. 344 Come nere, my specyall frende.

a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 151 (MED) Yestyrday he hadd frendys Speciall, but today he haue ham all y-lyke.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Acts x. C Cornelius..had called together his kynszfolkes and speciall frendes.

1604 T. Wright Passions of Minde (new ed.) v. 242 We may have many well-willers, but very few speciall friends: well-willers be generall friends.

1691 A. Wood Athenæ Oxonienses II. 191 This book, as Mr. Ley's special friend hath told me, was written by the said Ley.

1714 R. A. Hunter Monoropolis i. ii. 3 One of the Servants..being my special Friend, and knowing how eagerly my Stomach stood towards what was forbidden me by the Physitians, conveys a Hind of Pork into the Porrige.

1788 G. Eunson Anc. & Present State Orkney 76 He, or his special friends, are generally elected the parliamentary representors of this county and burgh.

1863 A. K. H. Boyd Graver Thoughts Country Parson 240 A Christian man ought never to choose for his special friend a person who, he knows, has no religion.

1913 E. H. L. Turpin Happy Acres ii. 14 There are children, a girl about my age, to be my specialest friend.

1975 Jackie 15 Feb. 33/3 ‘A Valentine’ (known as Arnold, or Big Ears to his special friends) is a rather spotty, boring youth.

2011 J. M. Leone Slices of Life 1 This piece is dedicated to my special friend, Caryn Kaufman. She has known me since I was three years old.

†b. In predicative use. Of a person: held in particular esteem or affection; particularly close or dear to; particularly intimate with. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > intimate or familiar > closely associated or acquainted

fastOE

specialc1390

near1523

inward1535

close1577

particular1588

lié1855

solid1882

c1390 MS Vernon Homilies in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1877) 57 268 (MED) Eiþer was special to oþur As Mon is to his owne broþur.

a1400 (c1300) Monk returns from Death (Coll. Phys.) in J. Small Eng. Metrical Homilies (1862) 30 An cloyster monk loued him ful wel, And was til him ful speciel.

?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 2610 Elfled, þat honorabil abbas, To whaim cuthbert sa special was.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) v. 501 Thai vald nocht persauit be, That thai war speciall to the king.

a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 906 For o knycht he send, That was most speciall with the lady kend.

c. Designating a person with whom one has a romantic relationship. Esp. in special someone.

ΚΠ

1924 Theatre Mag. May 4/3 Russian decor and pretty waitresses in costume, dim lights and the afore-emphasized seats around the wall make this an ideal place to take a special someone.

1948 Life 9 Feb. 57 When there's someone special in your heart, you want to tell her or him so in a special way.

1978 Cincinnati May 78/1 If you want to meet a special friend for some romantic browsing,..go for a lunch and a stroll at one of Cincinnati's galleries.

1986 Chicago Tribune (Electronic ed.) 16 Feb. 1 She's waiting for that ‘special guy’ to come along.

1996 Times 2 Mar. (Weekend section) 9 Widower... Seeks that special lady..to share the good things in life.

2012 J. Corvino & M. Gallagher Debating Same-sex Marriage ii. 58 Marriage also sends the message that it's good for people to have a special someone to care for them.

6. Of a person: appointed or employed for a particular purpose or occasion. Also: devoted to a specific or restricted field of study or research.In quot. ?c1450 in predicative use with in.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > duration > shortness or brevity in time > [adjective] > temporary or provisional

whilwendlicc1000

whilenda1050

specialc1400

seasonable1549

temporary1567

provisional1597

provisionary1617

temporaneal1625

provisory1630

interimistical1643

pro tempore1649

temporaneous1656

non-permanent1782

jury-rigged1788

ad interim1806

interim1808

meantime1840

running1851

flying1857

pro tem1858

interimistic1859

temp1909

caretaker1945

society > authority > office > holder of office > [adjective] > other types of official generally

simplec1380

general1400

specialc1400

ordinary1524

supernumeral1565

supernumerary1624

unfixed1661

society > authority > office > appointment to office > [adjective] > appointed for a particular occasion

specialc1400

society > education > learning > study > [adjective] > specializing

specializing1701

particularistic1840

special1846

specialistic1856

c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 7603 (MED) By a speciale messager J wil hir sende loue-drurye.

1406 Rolls of Parl.: Henry IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Mar. 1406 Pleas §8. m. 2 Our generals and specials attournes and deputes.

c1430 N. Love Mirror Blessed Life (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 49 Peraunter gabriel that was special messanger of this werk.

?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 843 Þai were speciale in his seruyse.

1564 Proclam. Elizabeth I 18 Feb. 1 The kyng of Spayne and his subiectes, appoynted speciall commissioners of trust, to haue an extraordinary power and aucthoritie, to heare, and spedely to determine and redresse all such complaintes.

1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 108 We will..that our speciall renter of our foresaid realmes..paye by yere a thousand marke of siluer.

1646 T. Gataker Mistake Removed 18 Having from the mouth of God, by a special expresse, received a release.

1679 T. Oates True Narr. Horrid Plot 5 The Letter..was carried by a special messenger, for which he had 10 Pattacoones.

1717 A. Pope Epil. Jane Shore in Wks. 413 He'd recommend her, as a special breeder.

1774 O. Goldsmith Retaliation 135 Then what was his failing? come tell it, and burn ye, He was—could he help it?—a special attorney.

1846 Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 18 410 Each special inquirer in the wide field of natural science.

1865 Men of the Time 714/2 He was employed as Special Commissioner during the Irish famine.

1908 Atlantic Monthly Apr. 489/2 The scientific spirit..as embodied in the special researcher, has of necessity withdrawn itself.

1926 Daily Chron. 13 May 1/3 Measures must be taken to demobilise the special constabulary..and to ensure the speedy return to normal conditions.

1980 P. G. Winslow Counsellor Heart xx. 215 Men were sent to saturate the area. The Special Patrol Group was called in.

2009 Financial Times 25 Nov. 11/1 Todd Stern, US special envoy for climate change, has been stressing China's progress on energy efficiency.

7. Law. Designating a particular or distinctive instance or case of the thing, action, or person specified, as special act, special bail, special bailiff, special bastard, special bastardy, special heir, special magistrate, special occupant, special prosecutor, special resolution, special tail, special term, special verdict, etc.See also special issue n. at Compounds 2, special jury n. at jury n. 2d, special plea n., special pleader n.¹, special pleading n.In use designating legal officers partly overlapping with sense A. 6.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adjective] > specific with legal terms

special1422

1422 in H. Nicolas Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1834) III. 17 (MED) A special act maad in parlement..and by auctoritee of parlement confermed.

c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 118 Vassallis ar behaldyn to thair baroun jn speciale jurisdictioun modifyit, and to the king jn generale.

c1523 J. Rastell Expos. Terminorum Legum Anglorum sig. B.1/2 Whan such specyall bastardy is aleggyd it shall be tried by the contrey and not by the byshop.

1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 214 Declared openly to the people, that he made him his heire generall, if he dyed without heires speciall of his bodie.

1593 Act 35 Eliz. (single sheet) During the said Terme there shall not be any trialles by Iuries or any iudgements vpon Demurrers, or special Verdicts, or such like, in any of her Highnesse Courts of Kings Bench, Common Pleas, or Exchequer.

1623 T. Powell Attourneys Acad. 167 The Common-pleas enioynes speciall Bayle for 10. l.

1686 G. Mackenzie Observ. Acts Parl. 389 The 6 Act of this Parliament, annulling in special Terms the said Convention, 1643. was unnecessary.

1741 T. Robinson Common Law of Kent i. vi. 130 If the special Heirs should be vouched only, they should not deraign the Warranty over, which should be mischievous that they should lose the Benefit of the Warranty.

1759 Tryal J. Stevenson 17 I was a special Bailiff, for that time, appointed by the Sheriff.

1759 W. Blackstone Great Charter & Charter of Forest Introd. p. liv A special bastard, that is, one born before marriage of parents who intermarry afterwards, is for very good reasons not admitted to inherit lands by the laws of England.

1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. III. iv. 38 Over all presided one special magistrate, called the chief justiciar or capitalis justiciarius totius Angliæ.

1788 E. Pendleton Let. 18 June in Lett. & Papers (1967) II. 540 Appeals from the common-law courts involve the consideration of facts by the superior court, when there is a special verdict.

1806 Monthly Anthology Dec. 632/1 None of them [sc. the churches] have, until very lately, been incorporated into distinct religious communities by special acts of the government.

1828 E. Batty Rep. Cases King's Bench Ireland 705 The first count treats him as heir as well as special occupant.

1858 H. J. Stephen New Comm. Laws Eng. (ed. 4) III. 143 The company..passes a special resolution..founded on the votes of three-fourths of the shareholders assembled.

1884 Times 5 Dec. 3/4 It was found in the special verdict that probably the men would not have survived unless they had killed and eaten the boy.

1936 Panel Mar. 3/3 Several thousand additional witnesses have been examined in the office of Mr. Dewey, the Special Prosecutor.

1979 Internat. Jrnl. Sociol. of Law 7 279 The function of the Special Magistrate was ‘to represent in his own person the whole policy of Britain’.

2012 Times of India (Nexis) 22 Nov. He was hanged at 7.30 am in the presence of a special magistrate.

a. Of a person (esp. a child): having particular requirements resulting from physical disability, learning or behavioural difficulties, etc. (esp. in educational contexts). Cf. special needs n. and adj.

ΚΠ

1874 Cornhill Mag. Sept. 290 We must feel that for these special children, much as we have done already, we have not yet done enough.

1936 M. L. Anderson in S. Glueck & E. Glueck Preventing Crime x. 183 The policies and principles under which the Binet Schools and classes function [include]:..Examination of children before assignment for physical, mental, and pedagogical handicaps... Activities and subjects suitable to special children.

1969 B. Furneaux Special Child ii. 21 (heading) Special children and their families.

1976 Design for Special Needs Sept. 8/1 The same problem, of housing for ‘special’ people, was the subject of MIND's conference.

2001 M. Blake 24 Karat Schmooze xvi. 175 He..spoke to them as if they were special children.

b. Education. Designed or provided for children who have special educational needs which prevent them from receiving (wholly) mainstream schooling; esp. in special education, special school.

ΚΠ

1885 A. G. Bell Let. 18 Feb. in J. C. Gordon Educ. Deaf Children (1892) 70/2 Some of the brightest children can be withdrawn from the special school-room for short periods of time.

1921 Handicapped Children (Connecticut Board Educ.) 6 Let us consider those children who are in need of special education because of some degree of mental abnormality.

1968 Trans-action Oct. 7/2 The prematures were more likely to be below their proper grade in school. Among white children..19·4 percent of the preemies were..in special classes.

2001 K. Fearon & A. Verlaque Lurgan Champagne & Other Tales 84 I was at a special school and had been getting good grades.

9. Mathematics. Designating a group (group n. 7) of matrices each of which has a determinant equal to 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > numerical arrangement > [adjective] > of sets > in abstract algebra > of groups

reducible1585

transitive1861

primitive1888

simple1888

special1888

cyclic1889

intransitive1889

solvable1892

finite1893

perfect1898

Abelian1900

soluble1902

proper1906

trivial1915

equivalent1948

hypercyclic1968

sporadic1968

1888 Amer. Jrnl. Math. 10 345 This is the special linear group.

1940 Math. Gaz. 24 216 The general linear group GL(n), with its sub-group the special linear group SL(n)..are the classical groups which underlie the ‘classical’ theory of algebraic forms.

1971 D. Gorenstein in M. B. Powell & G. Higman Finite Simple Groups ii. 68 The latter group is the projective special unitary group.

2007 A. D. Polyanin & A. V. Manzhirov Math. for Engineers & Scientists v. 229 The set of proper orthogonal transformations forms a group called the special orthogonal group of dimension n.

B. adv.

In a special manner; especially, particularly. Now rare (chiefly colloquial or regional).Some Middle English instances with final -e may instead show specially adv.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adverb]

hurec893

sunderlyeOE

highlyOE

namelya1200

sunderlepesa1200

sunderlepea1225

specialc1230

specially1340

serelya1375

principallyc1390

especially?a1400

rathestc1400

singularlyc1430

selfly1503

singular1530

enspecial1534

inespecially1557

nearly1560

peculiarly1561

inespecial1569

especial1591

speciouslya1616

nominately1641

chief1645

perpendicularly1658

c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 37 (MED) Bide him underuo þe spetiale in his god & þonke him of his inturn.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 230 Oure lhordes lemman special is yloued þet lokeþ maydenhod.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 27972 Speciale þan cals þis sin Wrak o him þat ligges þar-in.

c1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Augustine (1910) 35 He comendid gretly his cunnyng and special his deuocion.

a1513 H. Bradshaw Lyfe St. Werburge (1521) i. xxii. sig. h.iii It [i.e. an exemption] to confyrme, and roborate specyall With charters and dedes, and seales patent.

1545 T. Raynald tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde iii. sig. T.viii^v Sethe them in white wyne, and therein lap the infante, spetiall yf it be not taken with ouer greate heate.

1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. vi. 278 Great plenty of dates, which..are speciall good.

1613 J. Ussher Let. in R. Parr Life J. Usher (1686) Coll. viii. 17 One thing therein I think special worthy of observation.

1670 J. Smith England's Improvem. Reviv'd 65 The Chesnut is special good Timber for Building.

1760 G. A. Stevens Hist. Tom Fool II. xix. 165 He's a special good Customer, and a Power of the right Sort come after him.

1765 W. Cowper Let. 5 Nov. (1979) I. 123 They [sc. the Unwins] live in a special good House.

1851 A. Helps Compan. Solitude vii. 143 A case came on rather unexpectedly..and I was sent for ‘special’ as we say.

1856 2nd Rep. Postmaster Gen. 12 in Parl. Papers XXXVII. 65 That the Night Mail train should be run special (without passengers).

1859 W. M. Thackeray Virginians ix The Duke of Marlborough was no special good penman.

1921 J. B. Hendryx Connie Morgan in Fur Country xiv. 221 Not over in here, it ain't. Special, when it's comin' on to snow.

C. n.

†1.

a. A particularly close or dear friend, associate, or follower. Obsolete (rare after 17th cent.).In quot. 1899 short for ‘special friend’.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > friend > close or intimate friend

belamy?c1225

friarc1290

specialc1300

necessaryc1384

familiar?c1400

great frienda1425

gossea1549

particular1577

shopfellow?1577

cockmate1578

privado1584

bosom friend1590

better half1596

ingle1602

inward1607

bully boy1609

bosom-piecea1625

hail-fellow1650

bosom-bird1655

intimate1660

crony1665

intimado1682

chum1684

friend of one's bosom1712

right bower1829

inquaintancea1834

cad1836

chummy1849

bond-friend1860

raggie1901

bosom1913

aceboy1951

boon coon1951

mellow1967

squeeze1980

acegirl2009

c1300 St. Dunstan (Harl.) 194 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 39 He let ofsende his freond þat specials to him [a1325 Corpus Cambr. specials him] were.

c1400 (?c1375) St. Cecilia (Tiber.) in Yale Stud. in Eng. (1898) 3 93/1 (MED) Ane angell, syr, of heuyn ful bright Es my speciall both day and night.

a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 49 Lete ihesu be sool þy derlyng and þy special.

1509 Kynge Rycharde Cuer du Lyon (de Worde) sig. G.iiii Let hym yelde me my tresour euery dele Yf he wyll be my specyele.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 135^v Thus he spake for his spede his specials vnto.

1581 R. Sempill Complaint vpon Fortoun (single sheet) Ane of the speciallis [that] did mentene ȝour Croun, Ȝour ferme protectour in ȝour tender ȝeiris.

1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 84 To require libertie to cum to Scotland with..his garde of a thousand specialis.

a1660 H. Hammond Serm. (1664) iii. 42 The Saviour, that hath promises of long life annexed to some specials of his service.

1899 Hamilton Literary Mag. Apr. 363 ‘He was a special friend of mine.’..The Fiend always had an amazing number of ‘specials’.

b. A female sweetheart or lover; a mistress, a concubine. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > love > a lover > [noun] > one who is loved or a sweetheart > specifically a female sweetheart or girlfriend

lief971

ladya1393

ladyshipa1393

speciala1400

amiec1400

womanc1400

amoreta1425

mistressc1425

paramoura1450

fair ladya1470

girl?a1513

sooterkin1530

Tib1533

she1547

lady-love1568

jug1569

young lady1584

pigeon1592

love-lass1594

lass1596

dowsabel1612

swainling1615

lucky1629

Dulcinea1638

Lindabrides1640

inamorata1651

baby1684

best girl1691

lady friend1733

young woman1822

moll1823

querida1834

sheila1839

bint1855

tart1864

babykins1870

Dona1874

novia1874

fancy-girl1892

girlfriend1892

cliner1895

tootsy1895

dinah1898

best1904

twist and twirl1905

jane1906

kitten1908

patootie1918

meisie1919

bride1924

gf1925

jelly1931

sort1933

a bit (also piece) of homework1945

beast1946

queen1955

momma1964

mi'jita1970

her indoors1979

girlf1991

society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [noun] > illicit intimacy > person > a mistress

chevesea700

wifeOE

bed-sister1297

concubine1297

leman1297

file1303

speciala1400

womanc1400

chamberer?a1425

mistress?a1439

cousin1470

doxy?1515

doll1560

pinnacea1568

nobsya1575

lier-by1583

sweetheart1589

she-friend1600

miss1606

underput1607

concupy1609

lig-by1610

factoress1611

leveret1617

night-piece1621

belly-piece1632

dolly1648

lie-bya1656

madamc1660

small girl1671

natural1674

convenient1676

lady of the lake1678

pure1688

tackle1688

sultana1703

kind girl1712

bosom-slave1728

pop1785

chère amie1792

fancy-woman1819

hetaera1820

fancy-piece1821

poplolly1821

secondary wife1847

other woman1855

fancy-girl1892

querida1902

wifelet1983

a1400 Bk. to Mother (Egerton) in T. Wright & J. O. Halliwell Reliquiæ Antiquæ (1845) I. 40 Byhold, my derlyng, speketh to me, arys, come nerre, my special, come.

1473 Visitation Paper in Archaeologia (1885) 48 250 Þe vecar of þe sayde towne has haldyn to hys speciall this vj ȝere & more, and noe correction done.

a1500 (?1388) in T. Wright Polit. Poems & Songs (1859) I. 276 Here specialis yf y kys [Harl. 536 Ther special whan thei kis].

c1557 Enterlude of Youth (new ed.) sig. Ci^v A backe galantes and loke vnto me And take me for your speciall.

c. A male sweetheart or lover. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > love > a lover > [noun] > male lover

servantc1405

specialc1425

servitorc1450

love-lad1586

young man1589

inamorato1592

swainc1592

gentleman friend1667

enamorado1677

spark1707

beau?1720

Johnny1726

man friend1736

feller1842

novio1843

soupirant1849

fella1874

man1874

fellow1878

square-pusher1890

stud1895

papa1896

lover mana1905

boyfriend1906

daddy1912

lover-boy1925

sheikh1925

sweetback1929

sweet man1942

older man1951

boyf1990

c1425 (c1400) Laud Troy-bk. l. 13552 To vysite him ful offte sche went; For sche wiste he toke the falle Off Troyle that was hir specialle.

?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1876) VI. 333 After that sche electe into pope..was gete with childe by her specialle.

1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xx. 67 She..altogydre was of her determyned, to make of Blanchardyn her louer and her specyall.

?1506 Lytell Geste Robyn Hode (de Worde) sig. E.viii^v For the loue of a knyght Syr Roger of donkesly That was her owne speciall.

†2.

a. A particular thing or article. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [noun] > quality of being particular or not general > that which is > a particular thing or item

specialc1390

peculiar1610

c1390 (?c1343) R. Rolle Ego Dormio (Vernon) in C. Horstmann Yorkshire Writers (1895) I. 59 (MED) Alle þat louen vanytes and specials of þis world..mowe þei not comen..in to þat oþur degre of loue.

c1400 in J. P. Genet Four Eng. Polit. Tracts (1977) 11 Amonge oþer þinges þat distroyen rewmys, þis is a special þat anticriste haþ brouȝt.

1615 in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 168 Those specials which they appropriate to themselves are the sole and main commodities of the Kingdoms now in question.

1616 B. Jonson Every Man out of his Humor (rev. ed.) ii. ii, in Wks. I. 103 To the perfection of complement..are requir'd these three specials [1600 Projects].

1621 R. Montagu Diatribæ Hist. Tithes 467 You must shew some reason why Decimæ were restrayned vnto some specialls, seeing Primitiæ extended themselues vnto all.

b. A particular point, part, detail, concept, or statement. Cf. specific n. 2. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > [noun] > quality of being specific or detailed > a detail or particular

circumstances?c1225

parcela1325

partya1393

specialc1405

particular?a1425

partc1425

specialityc1443

specialty1449

especialityc1460

particularity1528

respect1533

severals1606

especial1633

particularment1642

retail1644

instance1649

circumstantiality1854

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Hengwrt) (2003) §387 Lat vs now descende to the special [c1410 Harl. 7334 purpos special].

c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 512 This comaundement..is not but a special and a parti of this general and hool comaundement.

1581 R. Sempill Complaint vpon Fortoun (single sheet) To pen the speciallis it passis mony a hunder.

1594 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. II. 162 Reason..descendeth from generalles to specialles, and from them to particulars.

1611 W. Sclater Key (1629) 177 Which generall is farther amplified by the specials.

1628 T. Spencer Art of Logick 204 Of the kindes of Distribution, and first of the Generall into the Specialls.

†3. A particular person; an individual. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > [noun] > individual person

headOE

polla1350

singular1420

specialc1450

individuala1500

particular1576

monad1855

c1450 (a1400) Orologium Sapientiæ in Anglia (1888) 10 385 (MED) Amonge þe whiche one specyal come to þe forseyde persone & asked wepyngly þat he wolde lette hym be þat begger.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 67 Fals goddes..Þat entrid into ymagis..Spekand to specyals þat spede for to aske.

†4. A species, kind, or type. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > [noun]

kindeOE

i-cundeOE

mannera1225

jetc1330

colour1340

hair1387

estrete1393

gendera1398

hedea1400

savourc1400

stockc1450

toucha1500

rate1509

barrel1542

suit1548

fashion1562

special1563

stamp1573

family1598

garb1600

espece1602

kidney1602

bran1610

formality1610

editiona1627

make1660

cast1673

tour1702

way1702

specie1711

tenor1729

ilk1790

genre1816

stripe1853

persuasion1855

1563 T. Wilson Rule of Reason (new ed.) sig. Pij Beauuis with Alexander are comprehended vnder manne, as their kinde and speciall.

1628 T. Spencer Art of Logick 131 The lowest species, is that which cannot be divided into other specialls.

1654 Z. Coke Art of Logick 32 Quality hath four kinds or specials.

5. A person appointed or employed for a particular purpose or occasion, as a special constable, special correspondent, etc.; (also) an advocate at a special fee.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > office > holder of office > [noun] > specific designation of official

Conservator of Truce1641

special1822

society > authority > delegated authority > one having delegated or derived authority > [noun] > person given special commission

special1822

1822 Coll. Songs Newcastle Dial. 53 The yeomen and specials in court you kept hid.

1833 W. H. Breton Excursions New S. Wales ii. 51 A Government Establishment formerly existed at Wellington Valley..and it was to this place that all the principal convicts, or those called specials were sent: that is to say, those of good connections.

1882 C. Pebody Eng. Journalism 147 To number among its enterprising band of correspondents the famous special of the Daily News.

1893 Westm. Gaz. 29 Sept. 1/2 A ‘special’ is an advocate who is not attached to any particular Court, but who will accept any brief with a special fee of 50 guineas marked upon it.

1939 War Illustr. 9 Dec. 393/3 Accompanied by German police, bands of Sudeten ‘specials’ raided the University and the Czech societies, and many persons were taken to the Gestapo headquarters.

1955 Times 20 July 4/3 There were only two police constables on St. Mary's, reinforced for the occasion by four ‘specials’.

1990 Poice Rev. (Nexis) 28 Sept. 1897/3 Specials are there to provide a support for the regular police.

6. Something which is additional to the usual or ordinary; usually short for ‘special ——’.

a. A train provided in addition to the normal timetable.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [noun] > a special thing

special1851

speciality1864

speshul1979

1851 J. F. Ronalds in Railways: Copy of Rep. Accident Ponders' End Station 16 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 93–III) XXX. 493 I never saw the special till it ran into the truck; it was going 15 or 20 miles an hour.

1871 ‘M. Legrand’ Cambr. Freshman 298 When the ‘special’ containing the excursion party..entered the station.

1998 N. Whittaker Sweet Talk (1999) 136 After the result was relayed by telephone, the rock was niftily made and was ready for sale at Wellingborough station as the football special full of ecstatic fans steamed to a halt.

b. A special edition of a newspaper, periodical, etc.; (also) a special article.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > journalism > journal > newspaper > [noun] > other types of newspaper

gazette1607

contemporary1670

packet1678

exchange1798

funny paper1837

blanket sheet1839

broadsheet1840

special1861

cocoa press1907

bladder1936

regional1958

electronic paper1967

free1982

society > communication > journalism > journal > matter of or for journals > [noun] > article > other types of article

lost1762

human interest1779

sub-article1815

sub-leader1839

turn-over1842

feuilleton1845

special1861

spesh1887

causerie1903

personality profile1922

think-piece1935

situationer1937

turnover article1952

opinion piece1957

tick-tock1972

listicle2007

1861 Amer. Agriculturist Dec. 365/3 When the fresh daily paper comes in, the latest telegraphic dispatches must be read, of course; then the older ‘specials’; then the editorials; then the comments of cotemporary papers; then the opinions of foreign journals.

1899 J. F. Fraser Round World on Wheel xiv. 162 I described..the London evening papers..the ‘specials’, ‘extra specials’, and ‘second extra specials’.

1933 E. Waugh Scoop ii. iv. 212 Make up the Irish edition with his morning cable... If the follow-up comes in..run a special.

1952 Hist. Times IV. i. ix. 415 The leading articles and ‘specials’ exposing the exaggerations of the ‘yellow peril’ school published during the year.

2010 G. Prakash Mumbai Fables v. 160 In 2002 the Hindustan Times Tabloid ran a special on the case, reminding its readers of the compelling cast of characters.

c. A special prize.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > token of victory or supreme excellence > [noun] > prize > other specific prize

glaivec1380

cupc1640

pewter1814

banner1840

presentation cup1844

blue ribbon1860

ribbon1860

shield1868

special1872

wager-cup1878

presentation bowl1896

rose bowl1970

quaich1971

1872 Poultry Bull. Sept. 112/2 About seventy-five prizes are offered, including three specials, of $5, $15, and $20.

1897 Daily News 16 June 9/1 It is laid down that the same dog cannot win more than one of these specials.

1918 W. A. Dyer Dogs of Boytown x. 158 Every exhibitor hopes to win one of the specials, but most of the dogs are trying for their championship titles.

2010 R. Mullin Sales Promotion (ed. 5) 222 Your holiday does tend to get lost among the many other holiday prizes simultaneously available, hence the appearance of ‘specials’, such as Golden Wonder's offer of ‘your own tropical island’.

d. A special offer in a shop, etc.; an article for sale on special offer.

ΚΠ

1887 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 11 Nov. 5/5 (advt.) Each day we offer some useful bargain that will repay anyone who visits our model grocery. Friday and Saturday specials. New home-made mince 10c per pound [etc.].

1911 System Oct. 426/2 ‘Specials for Today’ is the heading of a small blackboard in the window of a downtown grocery.

1966 T. Pynchon Crying of Lot 49 i. 14 Pink flyers advertising specials at the markets.

1980 Redbook Oct. 46/1 Before you go to the supermarket, check your newspaper for sales. Watch for patterns: ‘specials’ usually occur toward the beginning of the month, when supplies are highest.

2013 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 13 June I have a budget of about $30 a week for groceries and it is definitely hard to shop sometimes. I look out for specials.

e. A special examination.

ΘΚΠ

society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun]

examination1421

examen1612

probation1645

trial1672

exam1837

mug1853

special1890

mid-year1895

periodical1897

test1910

assessment1956

1890 Lancet 11 Oct. 796/1 What are known as ‘specials’ are being held this week. These are for men who partially failed at the last regular examinations.

1997 O. H. Prufer in W. S. Dancey & P. J. Pacheco Ohio Hopewell Community Organization i. iv. 109 I successfully passed the dreaded general examinations, and in October the special examinations. To add to these crowded months, I was divorced and remarried between taking my generals and specials.

f. A special dish; (in a restaurant, etc.) a dish of the day.

ΚΠ

1911 Scribner's Mag. Apr. 508/1 It is so long ago that only a few oldsters will identify the hostelry from the statement that ‘broiled chickens and waffles’ were its ‘specials’.

1939 J. B. Priestley Let People Sing ii. 44 What about ordering the Ninepenny Special—steak-and-kidney pudding and peas?

1958 Punch 1 Jan. 60/3 Accepting one of his hostess's ‘specials’ at one of her now-famous ‘get-together’ parties.

1994 J. Galloway Foreign Parts viii. 117 Rona came back with coffees and two paper plates. Pizza. Today's Special, she said.

2014 F. Rivers Bridge to Haven vii. 146 I'll order whatever special Oliver is cooking up for tonight.

g. A television programme forming an addition to a regular series.Recorded earliest in TV special n. at TV n.¹ Compounds 4.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > broadcasting > television > [noun] > type of programme

dramedy1905

news film1912

sex comedy1915

television adaptation1935

action comedy1936

sportcast1939

teleshopper1949

telethon1949

special1952

television special1952

TV special1952

science-fictioner1953

spectacular1954

promo1955

sitcom1956

spec1959

spin-off1959

reality programming1962

teleroman1964

mockumentary1965

serialization1965

talk show1965

laugh-in1967

novela1968

reality show1968

breakfast television1971

spy series1975

reality television1978

reality TV1980

series1988

shockumentary1988

1952 Billboard 5 Jan. 3/4 (heading) Bill Stern signed up for 13 TV specials.

1955 Billboard 23 July 2/3 Another piece of talent that CBS-TV has lined up is Victor Borge, who will be paid $100,000 for each of two 60-minute specials.

1979 Tucson (Arizona) Citizen 20 Sept. 7 b/6 NBC made a deal with the studio to make a few two-hour ‘Buck Rogers’ movies, to be shown occasionally as specials.

2006 D. Steel House iv. 49 They both stared mindlessly at the TV. They were watching a special on diseases in Africa, which didn't really interest either of them.

Phrases

P1. in special adv.

[Compare post-classical Latin in speciali in particular (from 13th cent. in British sources), Anglo-Norman en especiale, Anglo-Norman and Middle French en especial in particular, individually, in detail (all second half of the 14th cent. or earlier).]

a. Specially, especially, particularly. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > especially or particularly [phrase]

hure and hurea1175

in special1389

in especialc1390

in speciallyc1450

with (also by, in, of) specialtyc1450

in particular1502

in speciality1543

in peculiar1607

of (also with) a specialty1686

1389 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 52 (MED) Ordeynd it was..on þe same day in special to haue a messe of requiem.

a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1881) i. l. 894 Se þat þow yn special Requere not þat is a-yen hire name.

c1470 J. Hardyng Chron. c. ii The Kynges inspeciall Vnder his rule.

1483 ( tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage of Soul (Caxton) iv. xxxiii. f. lxxxi^v The fourth counceylour ben other that haue for to sene in special to gouernaunce of his propre goodes.

a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 211 The Emperour made a generall feste, to the whiche þe Erle was I-bede in speciall.

a1513 H. Bradshaw Lyfe St. Werburge (1521) i. xxxii. sig. l.^v Prepared by the kyng, and ordeyned inspeciall.

1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia sig. Bvi Chyefelye suche thynges as shalbe profytable to be knowne, as in specyall be thoese decrees and ordinaunces.

1603 T. Bodley in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 44 We have a speech given out, among Papists in special, of a match..between our Prince and the King of Spain's..daughter.

1680 W. Allen Perswasive to Peace & Unity (ed. 2) 134 He singles out this in special as the matter of his request.

b. In an individual, separate, or distinctive manner. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > individual [phrase]

in speciala1393

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 1501 Bot such a thing in special, Which to hem alle in general Is most plesant.

c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 159 But by hir Cote armures and by hir geere The heraudes knewe hem best in special.

1469–70 in Hist. MSS Comm.: 10th Rep.: App. Pt. V: MSS Marquis of Ormonde &c. (1885) 307 in Parl. Papers (C. 4576-I) XLII. 1 If ony suete or chalange be..so done in commene or in speciall.

?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 54 To euery man in speciall speke I sum wordis.

a1586 in W. A. Craigie Maitland Folio MS (1919) I. 238 And thocht I say in generale Sum sall it tak in speciale.

c. In detail; so as to enter into particulars. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > specifically [phrase] > in detail

from point to pointa1393

in speciala1398

specialityc1485

in particularity1559

in piecemeal1561

in (the) detail1603

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. 59 Of þe propirtees of aungels, we schal bigynne to speke of hem fir[st] in general and þanne in special.

c1415 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Corpus Oxf.) (1872) §2424 Ȝe han wel taught me as in generalle how I schal gouerne me... But now wolde I fayn þat ȝe wolde condescende in special [c1405 Hengwrt especial].

a1450 ( in J. Kail 26 Polit. Poems (1904) 11 I speke not in specyale Of oo kyngdom the lawe to telle; I speke hool in generale.

1573 J. Davidson Breif Commendatioun Vprichtnes xl. 106 That this may be maid mair manifest, I will discurs sum thing in speciall Tuiching this Lamp.

P2. Originally and chiefly U.S. on special: (of an item for sale) available at a reduced price as a promotion. Cf. on offer at offer n.¹ 1d.

ΚΠ

1909 Evening Times (Cumberland, Maryland) 23 Sept. 3 Boys' patent leather caps.., on special during this hour at 15c.

1955 Wall St. Jrnl. 10 Feb. 1/4 Safeway Stores..have the most items on special.

1990 Sun Herald (Sydney) (Nexis) 21 Oct. (Late ed.) 129 Paton's No. 17 lawn food, 25kg bags, usually cost $21.95 but are on special today for $17.95.

2004 C. Lee Aloft ix. 233 A hormone-free leg of lamb he'll..serve with..German white asparagus he found on special.

Compounds

C1. With nouns, forming adjectives used attributively, as special agreement, special-procedure, special-purpose, special-range, special-service, special-temper, etc.

ΚΠ

1859 Rep. Directors Convict Prisons 1858 226 in Parl. Papers XIII. i. 191 It is..a question well worthy of consideration, whether this class of prisoners, generally termed ‘special service men’, may not be considerably increased.

1897 Outing 30 279/1 A special-temper tool steel.

1901 Daily Tel. 9 Mar. 9/3 Two British special service officers have left London for the Abyssinian capital.

1936 R. S. Glasgow Princ. Radio Engin. vi. 116 Shortly after the advent of the screen-grid tube other special-purpose, multielectrode tubes began to appear in increasing numbers.

1944 Act 7 & 8 Geo. VI c. 31 §236 If at any time the managers or governors of an aided school or a special agreement school are unable or unwilling to carry out their obligations..it shall be their duty to apply to the Minister for an order revoking the order by virtue of which the school is an aided school or special agreement school.

1956 L. A. Abraham & S. C. Hawtrey Parl. Dict. 188 Special procedure order, a term applied by the standing orders of both Houses to an order, made or confirmed by a minister, in relation to which the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Act, 1945, applies.

1961 Act 9 & 10 Eliz. II c. 62 2nd Schedule §2 Where a trust fund includes special-range property,..the special-range property shall be carried to a separate part of the fund.

2010 H. V. Eastlick Nevada Real Estate Princ. & Pract. xxiv. 392 The appraiser will generally rely most on the cost approach when valuing special-purpose buildings.

C2.

special adviser n. (also special advisor) an adviser appointed to provide advice on particular topics to government ministers, officials, etc., esp. in a field in which they have expertise.

ΚΠ

1834 Circular to Bankers 25 July 1/1 The measure has been introduced..by a speech from..his Majesty's special adviser.

1893 Atlanta Constit. 28 Aug. 4/3 The speech from beginning to end bristles with sharp criticisms of the president and his special advisers.

1918 Plumbers, Gas & Steam Fitters Jrnl. June 22/1 Honorable Secretary of War Newton D. Baker has appointed President Alpine as Special Advisor to the War Department's Representative on the Labor Policies Board.

1935 C. L. King Public Finance xxii. 426 Ten different committees, including [President Franklin D. Roosevelt's] special advisor..were put to work forming special treaties.

1974 Economist 6 July 29/3 The Commons would be wise to consider the dangers as well as the advantages of the proliferation of special advisers.

1997 S. James Brit. Govt. iii. 102 Books and articles by..special advisers (particularly in the Bennite wing of the party) warned me of what to expect.

2011 Texas Banking (Electronic ed.) May 5 Ms. Warren is the..special adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury on the [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau].

special agent n. a person who conducts investigations on behalf of the government; (now) spec. (U.S.) a person who conducts criminal investigations and has arrest authority, esp. as a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > political police > [noun] > secret service or police > member of secret police

special agent1893

federal1921

1893 H. W. Wiley Nostrums Increasing Yield Butter (U.S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 12) 6 The numerous replies to this circular..have been referred to Mr. A. J. Wedderburn, special agent of the Department for the investigation of the general aspects of food adulteration.

1935 M. R. Werner Privileged Characters iv. 231 Gaston B. Means, special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation,..was directed by Jess Smith to investigate Senator Caraway.

1992 Spy (N.Y.) Oct. 60/1 Potterton..asked that a special agent of the FBI's antiterrorist unit in New York become involved.

2002 El Paso (Texas) Times (Nexis) 2 Feb. 1 b The IRS is hiring 300 special agents a year over the next few years to offset the number of investigators who will soon be able to retire.

Special Air Service n. (esp. in the British Army) a military unit specially trained in commando techniques and often deployed by air; frequently attributive; abbreviated S.A.S. n. at S n.¹ Initialisms 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > branch of army > [noun] > S.A.S.

Special Air Service1942

S.A.S.1945

1942 We speak from Air xvii. 53 There is no better example of co-operation between the services than in the organisation and training of the Special Air Service troops that has been quietly taking place for some time.

1977 Proc. Royal Soc. Med. 70 504/1 Major I. T. Houghton discussed first aid in the Special Air Service Regiment. This was formed in 1941 by David Stirling for operations behind the enemy lines in North Africa.

1980 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Arts July 491/1 The Special Air Service..is trained for special tasks and it therefore represents the ready-made anti-hijacking force.

2013 Guardian (Nexis) 2 Apr. 1 Many of the detainees were brought to the facility by snatch squads formed from Special Air Service and Special Boat Service squadrons.

Special Area n. British History a district designated for development and improvement, for which special economic provision is made in legislation (parliamentary Acts of 1934 and 1937: see quots.); also in plural and frequently attributive; cf. development area n. at development n. Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > a land or country > part of country or district > [noun] > depressed area

depressed area1928

Special Area1934

1934 Act 25 George V c. 1 §8 (1) This Act may be cited as the Special Areas (Development and Improvement) Act, 1934.

1945 Archit. Rev. 97 109/1 The former Special Areas, now renamed (with adjustments) the Development Areas, are not necessarily economic and social entities.

1979 G. Pottinger Secretaries of State for Scotl. 1926–76 xiv. 148 The modest incentives dating originally from the Special Areas Acts of 1934 and 1937, and modified by post-war legislation, to persuade firms to move to depressed districts were no longer considered adequate.

2004 Trans. Inst. Brit. Geographers 29 50/2 Land settlement became regarded as a palliative like other workfare schemes developed by the Special Areas Commission.

Special Branch n. (esp. in the United Kingdom and Ireland) a police unit which deals with matters relating to national and political security.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > political police > [noun] > secret service or police > British

Special Branch1883

security service1918

MI5?1921

MI6?1921

firm1952

the Circus1963

S.B.1964

six1969

1883 Standard 1 Oct. 3/3 The other District Inspector will be at the head of the secret branch, and will be designated as ‘District Inspector—Crime, Special Branch’.

1894 J. G. Littlechild Reminisc. i. 8 The later years of my service at Scotland Yard were spent in connection with the ‘special’ branch of the Criminal Investigation Department.

1936 ‘N. Blake’ Thou Shell of Death ix. 159 Scotland Yard had got into touch with the Special Branch in Dublin.

1962 Listener 15 Mar. 459/2 Warrants of this kind would be normally executed by special branch officers acting under the directions of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

1982 Listener 16 Dec. 4/1 It is held by those in Special Branch that contact with Security Service is already so close that SB ought to take over primary responsibility for counter-espionage.

2003 P. Lovesey House Sitter (2004) xiii. 189 Special Branch have a number of addresses in London where they protect VIPs under threat of terrorism, or informers changing their identities.

special buyer n. now historical the bill broker of the Bank of England in the discount market.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > financial dealings > types of money-dealing > [noun] > use of bills of exchange > one dealing in bills of exchange > specific

special buyer1941

1930 Financial Times 10 July 6/6 From the activities of the special buyer of bills over the past two days, it is unlikely that the discount market will allow rates to become further detached from the official minimum.]

1941 Economist 1 Feb. 149/1 The help given to the market last week by the special buyer has made itself more felt.

1965 A. Seldon & F. G. Pennance Everyman's Dict. Econ. 311 In Britain open market operations in Treasury Bills are conducted through a firm of discount brokers (the ‘Special Buyer’) on instructions from the Bank of England.

2010 F. Capie Bank of Eng.: 1950s to 1979 iii. 102 New bills were sold through the weekly Treasury bill tender, whereas other transactions were undertaken by the ‘Special Buyer’.

special care baby unit n. British a hospital ward providing newborn infants with specialized or intensive care, esp. due to illness or premature delivery or birth.

ΚΠ

1956 Manch. Guardian 8 Aug. 8/4 There are 73 obstetric beds, 31 gynaecology beds and a special care baby unit of 7 beds.

1991 Lancet 2 Mar. 553/1 Management in the special-care baby unit..consists of keeping the baby warm, in incubator or cot depending on size and state of maturity.

2014 Canterbury Times (Nexis) 10 Apr. 5 A..mother has told of the terrifying moment her newborn child was taken away from her and rushed into a special care baby unit, suffering with breathing difficulties.

special care unit n. a ward in a hospital or nursing home providing patients with specialized or intensive care.

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1956 Boston Daily Globe 21 May 18 (advt.) Special care unit.

1998 R. A. Kane et al. Heart Long-term Care vi. 171 Many nursing homes have responded by developing special care units..for people with Alzheimer's disease.

2003 Birmingham Evening Mail (Nexis) 30 Jan. 39 The creation of a..special care unit specifically for people with disabilities means our facilities are far more sensitive to the needs of these patients.

special case n. Law a written statement of the facts of a case which is submitted by the parties involved to a court for a decision on a point of law.

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1773 E. Bott Coll. Decisions Court King's Bench (ed. 2) 305 A special case was stated for the opinion of the court.

1848 J. J. S. Wharton Law Lexicon 133/1 Consultary response, the opinion of a court of law on a special case.

1933 Official Gaz. Kenya 3 Apr. 529 The special case..shall be transmitted to the Supreme Court for the purposes of determination.

2000 A. J. Pirie Alternative Dispute Resol. viii. 337 More rules allow the parties to state a special case to a judge involving a question of law or fact and to set down a point of law for hearing.

special character n. a character which is not a letter of the alphabet or a numeral; a character not found on a standard keyboard; (Computing) a character which has a particular syntactic meaning.

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1855 Ballou's Dollar Monthly Mag. July 96/1 It [sc. the national printing-office at Paris] affords the printers of Paris and the departments special characters they do not possess.

1917 Amer. Printer 5 Apr. 40/2 Immediately after an operator has used a special character it must be returned to its case.

1999 A. R. Bellinger & P. Grierson Catal. Byzantine Coins Dumbarton Oaks Coll. V. Pref. p. xii I must also express my particular thanks to two members of the editorial staff..for their skill in designing the many special characters required in the volume.

2004 Times 24 Nov. (Crème section) 3/6 There are a number of ways to insert special characters in many programs.

special collection n. (also with capitial initials) a collection of materials, especially valuable books or manuscripts, which is kept separate from other materials in a library and usually has stricter access rights; (also in plural) the department of a library that maintains such a collection.

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1858 Hist. Mag July 196/1 From the catalogues of special collections..we may ultimately realize the achievement of a bibliographical guide.

1918 Special Libraries May 111/1 Correspondence files..frequently represent a valuable part of the special collection.

1975 Times Lit. Suppl. 21 Feb. 194/4 The purpose of the Library Chronicle..is to be a showcase for the material available to scholars in its special collections.

2003 J. Dobson Maltese Manuscript ix. 73 Bob Tooey, the little potato-faced researcher from Special Collections, was all dressed up now in a baggy blue suit.

special committee n. a committee set up to investigate a specific matter, usually having a limited number of members and established for a limited time period.

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society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > deliberative, legislative, or administrative assembly > types of body or spec. bodies > [noun] > committee > other types of committee

committee1571

council of war1590

special committee1606

standing committeea1632

Committee of Safety1642

working party1744

finance committee1783

Board (also Court) of county commissioners1806

business committee1825

national committee1826

watch committee1835

working group1888

Central Committee1917

action committee1918

action group1927

ombuds-committee1964

PESC1969

1606 A. Maxey Churches Sleepe sig. C.3^v Such hath beene his Maiesties Princely zeale that hee hath referred the care thereof to speciall Committies, that with all couenient speede, Wales, Ireland and the Northren borders, might be supplyed and planted with learned and religious Teachers.

1641 W. Hakewill Manner how Statutes Enacted in Parl. 7 Towards the end of the Parliament, when there remaineth many Bills in the house undispatched, there hath beene a speciall Committee appointed to take a survey of them.

1702 F. Atterbury Case Schedule Stated 95 He could not Name even a Special Committee of Select Persons in the Lower House, without the Consent and Approbation of the House it self.

1827 H. Hallam Constit. Hist. Eng. II. xv. 491 In June 1689, a special committee was appointed to inquire into the miscarriages of the war in Ireland.

1929 Times 31 Oct. 14/4 In order to safeguard the home consumer against exploitation by the producers' ‘rings’, which the coal-marketing schemes will establish, the Government will set up in every district a special committee to keep a watch on prices.

2005 Daily Tel. 19 Jan. 29/4 Some of the restatements follow an investigation by a special committee into the management of the company.

Special Constable n. (in the United Kingdom) a volunteer who is appointed to act as a police officer on particular occasions, especially in times of emergency.

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society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > policeman > other types of policeman

star1714

Special Constable1733

police runner1782

snoozy1823

New Policeman1830

redbreast1862

roundsman1868

state trooper1883

harness cop1891

black and tans1920

B Special1922

tans1932

1733 Let. Freeman City of Chester 18 There was a Necessity for the Number of Special Constables that were appointed.

1795 J. Farington Diary 16 Nov. (1978) II. 403 Nicol..had undertaken with many other respectable inhabitants to act as special constables to prevent riots.

1806 A. Duncan Nelson's Funeral 26 Special, petty, and other constables..were on duty.

1831 Act 1 & 2 Wm. III c. 41 An Act for amending the Laws relative to the Appointment of Special Constables, and for the better Preservation of the Peace.

1932 W. H. Auden Orators i. 36 Jokes about special constables and conscientious objectors.

1970 Britain 1970: Official Handbk. (Central Office of Information) 105 All police forces have an attachment of special constables, who are volunteers willing to perform police duties without pay in their spare time. In England and Wales the function of special constables is to act as auxiliary to the regular force when required. In Scotland they are employed only in emergencies, although they may be assigned for duty for training purposes.

2002 Mirror 18 Mar. 5/5 We are..asking more employers to encourage staff to become Special Constables.

special correspondent n. a journalist who writes for a newspaper on special events or a special area of interest; (hence) special-correspondently adv.special-correspondently is apparently an isolated use by Kipling.

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1821 St. James's Chron. 16 Aug. We have extracted from the Irish papers and the communications of our own special correspondent, a number of interesting particulars connected with his Majesty's visit.

1856 Men of the Time 687 He was deputed to be the special correspondent of the ‘Times’ in the Crimea.

1891 R. Kipling Life's Handicap 86 It suited him to talk special-correspondently.

1929 D. Hammett Red Harvest xxiii. 235 A big-city paper or two are sending in special correspondents.

1976 Economist 29 May 11/1 Our special correspondent describes..Indians' strange passive unresistance.

2008 Vanity Fair May 74/3 This month Vanity Fair special correspondent Matt Tyrnauer explores the daring vision of two architects.

special damages n. Law damages which compensate a plaintiff for a loss (such as medical expenses or repair costs) which may be easily quantified in monetary terms; (in later use also) damages awarded for breach of contract, where the loss is foreseeable by the defendant despite being caused by unusual circumstances beyond the scope of the contract; contrasted with general damages n. at general adj. and n. Compounds 2.

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1767 H. Bathurst Introd. Law Nisi Prius iii. i. 81 If the Lord leave sufficient Estovers, yet he shall recover special Damages.

1786 Speeches of Judges Case Capt. E. Sutton (new ed.) 22 The Assignment of the special Damages is ill laid. The Court states, that the Plaintiff lost a large Sum of Money, which he would have gained if he had not been suspended.

1834 D. Graham Ess. on New Trials i. 17 The damages were £250. No special damages being laid..the court thought the damages excessive.

1890 Huddersfield Daily Chron. 11 Feb. 3/6 The plaintiff claims £10,000 general damages, besides £1,150 special damages.

1942 Michigan Law Rev. 41 185 Special damages growing out of a breach of such a duty could not be recovered because they were not within the reasonable contemplation of the parties in making the contract.

2012 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (Nexis) 20 Oct. 20 Nirmala, 28, is seeking special damages for medical expenses.

special delivery n. delivery of a letter or package within a guaranteed period, or outside normal hours, on payment of an additional fee; an item of mail, etc., delivered under these terms.

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society > communication > correspondence > postal services > [noun] > types of service

printed paper1553

letter post1660

penny post1680

general post1687

parcel post1790

penny postage1798

twopenny post1811

twopenny1818

printed matter1836

parcel delivery1837

bangy1842

book post1848

special delivery1865

V.P.P.1888

express delivery1891

rural free delivery1891

certified mail1955

recorded delivery1960

Mailgram1969

freepost1970

1865 R. Bond Bk. Information Railway Travellers 189 In London cab fares are invariably charged in cases of special delivery.

1886 I. M. Rittenhouse Jrnl. 3 Feb. in Maud (1939) xi. 368 Eliza brought me a special delivery letter from my good boy.

1904 Harper's Mag. Feb. 462/2 And what a lucky chance that brought me a ‘special delivery’.

1932 E. Ferber Glamour in They brought their Women (1933) 14 Miss Fayne..saw a particularly lurid one marked air mail, special delivery, urgent, postmarked Cincinnati.

1977 ‘E. Crispin’ Glimpses of Moon xii. 256 A letter marked in one place ‘Special Delivery’, and in another, ‘Recorded Delivery’.

2012 Your Chickens Apr. 35/2 Do not be tempted to go for a cheaper 1st class option; always use Special Delivery.

special deposit n. a deposit made in a bank subject to certain conditions; spec. a deposit mandated by the Bank of England from a commercial bank as a means of controlling its lending (now historical).

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1805 R. W. Bridgman Analyt. Digested Index Reported Cases I. 77/2 Lord Chancellor held this to be a special deposit, and directed a calculation to be made of the value of the entire thing at the time of the deposit.

1859 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 2) 432 Special deposit, a deposit made in a bank subject to the control of the depositor, and which is not made a part of the funds of the bank to be used by it in its business.

1958 Times 4 July 15/1 The new scheme of ‘special deposits’ to be introduced by the Bank of England will in effect be kept in reserve in case of need.

1978 London Clearing Banks (Committee London Clearing Bankers) 68 From 1958 onwards the Bank was able to supplement its open-market operations with calls for special deposits from the clearing banks; when a call was made, each bank had to lodge at the Bank of England a cash deposit of a specified percentage of its total deposits.

2009 Times (Nexis) 13 July (Business section) 35 In the past, cash and deposit requirements and even supplementary special deposits (also known as ‘corsets’) were major tolls for managing bank liquidity.

special dividend n. an occasional or extra dividend paid to the proprietors or shareholders of a company.

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1834 Morning News (London) 5 July 1/7 A special dividend will be paid at the same time.

1936 Wall St. Jrnl. 20 Oct. 9/1 Burroughs Adding Machine Co. yesterday declared a special dividend of 60 cents in addition to a dividend of 15 cents.

2012 R. Hobson Dividend Investor i. 14 A special dividend does imply that the company is on a sound financial footing.

Special Drawing Right n. an additional drawing right allocated to member countries of the International Monetary Fund, allowing them extra powers to purchase foreign currency from the Fund, and so increase their foreign exchange reserves; usually plural; frequently abbreviated S.D.R. n. at S n.¹ Initialisms 1.

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society > trade and finance > financial dealings > types of money-dealing > [noun] > money-changing > exchange operations

flight1923

run1931

Special Drawing Right1963

S.D.R.1967

1963 Financial Times 6 Mar. 15/7 Countries qualifying for the new treatment are, it seems, to be allowed a special drawing right equivalent to 25 per cent. of their quotas.

1971 H. Wilson Labour Govt. xxxv. 726 The IMF Special Drawing Rights scheme..had come into effect on 28 July [1969].

2009 Guardian (Nexis) 25 Sept. 36 Ethiopia, Malawi and South Africa, have already been allocated special drawing rights to cope with the economic crisis.

Special Economic Zone n. (also with lower-case initials) (a) = Exclusive Economic Zone n. at exclusive adj. and n. Additions; (b) a geographical region within a country which is subject to special economic laws which are less restrictive than those governing the rest of the country; abbreviated SEZ.

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1973 Summary of World Broadcasts Pt. 3: Far East (B.B.C.) 6 Nov. 2nd Ser. FE4443/A2/3 You can draw at will a zone of control for the purpose of plundering fishery resources, whereas the developing countries are inexcusable lawbreakers when they demand a reasonable special economic zone over the seas near their coasts.

1981 Winnipeg Free Press 1 June 36/1 Hong Kong's long-term future as a prosperous city-state where capitalism thrives under a British administration has become far brighter since the Chinese government established special economic zones along the joint border.

1999 Washington Times (Nexis) 11 Feb. a21 Mischief Reef is an area inside the Philippines' Special Economic Zone and there he photographed three moored Chinese ships.

2007 Independent 14 Mar. (Extra section) 6/3 Outside their home state they have taken a tough line on India's up-and-coming Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

special edition n. an edition of a newspaper, magazine, television programme, etc., which differs from the usual format, esp. in concentrating on one particular story; (also) a version of any product which offers features not usually available, and may be available in limited quantities or for a limited time (frequently attributive; cf. limited edition n. and adj.).

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society > communication > journalism > journal > newspaper > [noun] > editions of newspaper

special edition1845

library edition1869

extra-special1889

airmail edition1923

bulldog edition1926

final1931

air edition1939

society > occupation and work > industry > manufacture or production > [noun] > manufactured article or product > general types of

small ware1815

special edition1845

stamping1862

run of the mill1876

mass product1922

short run1957

1845 N.Y. Herald 6 Nov. We shall issue an Extra Herald at one o'clock, to contain the latest intelligence... This special edition can be had at the desk, in wrappers, at two cents per copy.

1872 B. Jerrold London xx. 177 The news-boy would deliver the special edition.

1882 J. Hatton Journalistic London 148 The whole Morning Standard is printed in one hour and fifty minutes,..and the special edition in forty-five minutes.

1939 L. MacNeice Autumn Jrnl. v. 23 They are selling and buying the late Special editions snatched and read abruptly.

1959 Reno (Nevada) Evening Gaz. 14 Sept. 18/6 (advt.) El-Dorado Cadillac Convertible... Good tires. Sharp clean Special Edition.

1973 Financial Times 25 July 2/3 Royal Television Gala Performance: Special edition of the Harry Secombe Show.

1996 National Trust Thames & Chilterns Newsletter Spring 3/2 The New Covent Garden Soup Company chose wild mushroom for the special edition soup.

2002 Time 1 Apr. 6/1 (heading) Our 9/11 special edition..featured a 28-page picture portfolio.

special effect n. chiefly Film and Television an unusual or spectacular illusion or other audio-visual effect; (in later use) esp. a scenic or optical effect created on set using camerawork, stunts, pyrotechnics, props, etc. (as distinct from a computationally-enhanced visual effect created in post-production; see visual effect n. at visual adj. and n. Additions); usually in plural; frequently attributive.

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society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > filming > special effect > [noun]

effect1838

special effect1907

visual effect1952

optical1953

FX1960

VFX1995

1907 Electr. Rec. June 20/1 Devices are used for producing special effects such as lightning, waterfalls, etc.

1911 D. S. Hulfish Cycl. Motion-picture Work II. 88 Special effects may be attained by tricks as subtle as those of the accomplished magician before his audience.

1937 H. G. Wells Brynhild v. 61 The brightest and best producers, directors, scenarists, cameramen, special effects men, editors.

1951 Jrnl. Soc. Motion Picture & Television Engineers 57 53/1 Studio terminology combines under ‘special effects’ a large variety of items, materials, equipment and processes which..aid in realistically imitating natural phenomena..which otherwise could be considered only at prohibitive expense or with impossible hazards.

1978 R. Hill Pinch of Snuff vii. 65 The special effects department must be getting better.

2012 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 29 Aug. 20 If the words are subordinate to the images or, even worse, to special effects, drowned out by car chases or explosions, then the movie is barren.

special election n. U.S. an election held at an unusual or unexpected time, as when an incumbent resigns or dies.

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1791 Laws State N.-Y. (1792) II. 362 Such vacancy or vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of the year in which they may happen by a special election for that purpose.

1866 Weekly New Mexican (Santa Fe) 22 Dec. 2/2 One of the senators from San Miguel county having resigned, a special election was held.

1974 State (Columbia, S. Carolina) 15 Feb. 22- a/6 The beleaguered Republican candidate in the February 5 special election to replace the late Rep. John Saylor of Pennsylvania.

2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 2 Nov. (Front section) 28/6 After a devastating loss..in an upstate special election, Republicans revamped their campaign committee.

special forces n. (also with capital initials) Military armed forces that undertake covert, counterterrorist, or other unconventional operations.

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1951 Winnipeg Free Press 9 Mar. 23/6 At least 10,000 of the 66,000 men in uniform have that privilege as members of the so-called Special Forces.

1968 Times 6 Nov. 6/1 The same tough-looking special forces..demonstrated Russia's new interest in mobility and the capacity to deal with brushfire wars.

2007 T. Gryphon Key to Confl. xxvii. 249 The Marines had trained her in anticipation of her working for Special Forces; allowing her to work on a degree in forensic psychology, specializing in counterterrorism.

special function n. Mathematics Physics any of various mathematical functions regarded as particularly important, esp. in mathematical physics.

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1936 Amer. Math. Monthly 43 38 This book should be useful to students of mathematical physics, as its treatment of the special functions is less sketchy than that in the typical text.

1976 SIAM Rev. 18 240 The most commonly encountered explicit representations for the special functions of mathematical physics are power series and definite or contour integrals.

2003 B. West et al. Physics Fractal Operators v. 182 Most special functions, such as sine, cosine,.., and other functions of theoretical physics can also be expressed as infinite series.

special guest n. a (typically well-known) person who is invited to perform or appear at an event or on a television or radio show.

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1946 Billboard 23 Oct. 101/1 Appearing as a special guest at the meeting was Paul Dixon, local disk jockey, who presented a transcribed program which he had prepared.

1987 Times 1 Dec. 23 The Lenny Henry Show. The last programme of the series and the special guest is Jonathan Ross.

2002 S. Schechter Judy Garland (2006) 292 Judy Garland ‘Live’ at the London Palladium with Special Guest Liza Minnelli.

special hire n. East African (chiefly Ugandan English) a vehicle with a driver for public hire, now esp. a taxi.

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1950 Official Gaz. (Kenya) 28 Feb. 140/1 Special hire from Lamu to Mkowe, or vice versa.

1997 A. Gakwandi Kosiya Kifefe 109 He walked to town, brought a special hire taxi and almost made a public ceremony of his departure from the school compound.

2020 Daily Monitor (Kampala) (Nexis) 21 May Mr Katongole called for a special hire.

special hospital n. British a hospital or institution where people with mental disorders are treated and kept securely; a psychiatric hospital (cf. mental hospital n. at mental adj.¹ and n. Compounds).

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1950 Chambers's Encycl. IX. 281/2 It can also serve as a diagnostic centre from which the patient can be transferred to the most suitable special hospital.

1981 Guardian 9 Apr. 2/6 Other patients are returned to special hospitals for amazingly trivial misdemeanours.

2011 J. Baker et al. in S. Pryjmachuk Mental Health Nursing xii. 412 The special hospitals are..reminiscent of Victorian mental institutions.

special interest n. something in which only a limited number of people have an interest, esp. politically; (chiefly U.S.) a group or corporation which seeks special advantages for itself, usually by political means; frequently attributive (cf. special interest group n.).

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society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > types of association, society, or organization > [noun] > corporation or body corporate > seeking special advantages

special interest1901

1901 Gunton's Mag. Apr. 325 In the early days of the republic, before large industrial interests arose, open voting was an easy way of providing for the free exercise of the suffrage, but with the growth of special interests and development of a large wage class an element of coercive dictatorship arose.

1906 Railway Clerk Oct. 396/1 Labor with a mighty effort, and the ballot box, as their weapon, could sweep the blood sucking ‘special interests,’ representatives off the political map.

1910 G. Pinchot Fight for Conservation 134 The people of the United States believe that..the Senate and the House no longer represent the voters by whom they were elected, but the special interests by whom they are controlled.

1980 Outdoor Life (U.S.) Oct. (Northeast ed.) 21/2 It is a measure of the arrogance of the special interests that 53 of the new lease applications are for tracts inside the proposed wilderness area.

1982 Time 8 Nov. 92/2 The special-interest slangs generated then were interminably publicized.

2009 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 1 Apr. a19/4 The Clintons attacked special interests and excluded them from policy-making deliberations.

special investigation n. (chiefly with capital initials) an investigation of a specialized or unconventional nature; (chiefly attributive) designating a police or military force that oversees or implements such an investigation; also in plural.

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1900 Weekly Irish Times 22 Sept. 8/2 Both officers have been for years connected with the Special Investigation Department.

1976 Kennebec Jrnl. (Augusta, Maine) 22 Sept. 1/5 The undercover agent who made out the original report was part of the police-administered Department of Special Investigations.

2014 M. Katayanagi in J. Genser & B. S. Ugarte United Nations Security Council Age Human Rights v. 135 Investigation of human-rights violations could be carried out by the human-rights component of a peacekeeping operation, or a special investigation team could work alongside the peacekeeping mission.

special issue n. Law a specific allegation; an issue (see issue n. 13a) raised by the denial of a specific allegation.

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1607 J. Cowell Interpreter sig. Oo3/2 The speciall issue then must be that, where speciall mater being alleadged by the defendant for his defence; both the parties ioyne therevpon.

1773 Attorney's Compl. Guide Court King's Benche. 121 Pay for entries and join in the special issue, or give general issue, and take notice of trial.

1840 G. Worthington Inq. Power Juries on Questions of Law 39 Upon this special issue, the jury might give a special verdict.

1911 Wisconsin Session Laws cci. 226 If such jury shall find upon such special issue that such accused person was so insane or that there is reasonable doubt of his sanity..they shall return a verdict of not guilty because insane.

2010 M. D. Cunningham Eval. Capital Sentencing ii. 46 Future violence risk considerations most often are asserted as a special issue or an aggravating factor by the state.

Special K n. (also with lower-case initial(s)) [ < special adj. + K n. at K n. Additions, punningly after Special K, a proprietary name for a breakfast cereal] slang (originally U.S.) the veterinary anaesthetic ketamine, used as a recreational drug; cf. K n. at K n. Additions.

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1986 S. Churcher N.Y. Confidential vii. 174 You might want to try substituting ‘special t’ for the ‘special k’ (ketamine) at your next dinner party.

2005 Mirror (Nexis) 24 Sept. 8 She snorted line after line of coke and Special K during a debauched night at a plush apartment in London.

special licence n. licence granted to two people to marry at a time or place that is not usually allowed, or that does not conform to the usual regulations; a licence authorizing this.

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1640 Englands Complaint sig. F2, At such times (which altogether containe almost halfe of the yeare) without the Bishops Speciall Licence, no Man or Woman may Marry.

1670 T. Blount Νομο-λεξικον: Law-dict. Advent,..This is also one of the times, from the beginning whereof..the solemnizing of marriage is forbidden, without special Licence.

1712 Bp. St. Asaph's Charge to Clergy 25 None should be clandestinely married, without Banns being first publish'd, or without Special Licence obtain'd.

1790 F. Burney Diary Jan. (1842) V. 85 Mr Fairly's marriage..was by special licence, and at the house of Sir R— F—.

1825 H. Wilson Mem. iii. 168 Lord Frederic Beauclerc..declares himself willing to..marry us, privately, by special licence, provided you agree to grant him les droits du seigneur. Worcester enquired what that meant. Simply, les droits du mari, for the first night.

1908 H. Cecil Let. 20 Aug. in R. S. Churchill Winston S. Churchill (1969) II. Compan. ii. 808 A special licence costs a lot of money..so you had better go for an ordinary one or for banns.

1973 Scotsman 7 Aug. 6/2 The ‘wedding’ in the registrar's office at Dumfries took place after the couple were granted a special licence in the courthouse only 50 yards away.

2010 Sun (Nexis) 14 July 19 Clergy will no longer have to apply for a special licence if a couple from one church want to marry in another.

special measures n. (also with capital initials) (in the United Kingdom) a status applied to an establishment, esp. a school, which exhibits poor performance or fails to meet standards and is typically given support for improvement; esp. in in special measures.

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1997 Times Educ. Suppl. 18 July 46/1 (advt.) The Governors wish to appoint an experienced, enthusiastic and committed Headteacher for this community school which has been in Special Measures since March 1997.

2006 Independent 5 July 2/2 The commission wrote to the Health Secretary..requesting the trust be placed on special measures after it found senior managers had ‘failed to identify and correct situations involving physical, emotional and environmental abuse’.

2013 J. Sutcliffe 8 Qualities Successful School Leaders v. 80 We worked there for a year together to get the school out of special measures.

special mention n. a distinction accorded to an entry in a competition that is judged to be of merit but is not awarded a top prize; cf. honourable mention n. at honourable adj., adv., and n. Compounds.

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society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] > marks > specific marks

accessit1753

honour1774

credit1802

second class1810

firsta1830

first class1830

third class1844

Hons.1850

max1851

second1852

special mention1886

distinction?1890

A1892

E1892

pass mark1894

two-two1895

alpha1898

alpha plus1898

gamma1898

beta1902

delta1911

alpha minus1914

fourth1914

straight A1926

two-one1937

lower second1960

honourable mention2011

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > honour > [noun] > conferring of honour > an) honour(s) or distinction

worshipOE

mensk?c1225

pre-eminence1433

honoura1500

pre-eminency1555

a feather in the cap, hat1581

garland1591

honorarium1609

honorary1610

blushing honours1623

signal1655

gayness1670

honourability1694

honourable mention1797

special mention1886

1886 Amer. Florist 1 Jan. 170 Mr. Meehan was awarded a special mention for a new bouvardia named Rosea Multiflora.

1965 Washington Post 23 Apr. a23/ A special mention was awarded to Harry Naltchayan of The Washington Post for a black-and-white print of his picture of a group of firemen.

2004 T. Ganti Bollywood vi. 212 Bimal Roy's Kabuliwa (The Man from Kabul) wins a special mention for music at the Berlin Film Festival.

special occasion n. and adj. (a) n. a particularly noteworthy event, ceremony, social gathering, or celebration; (b) adj. of, relating to, suitable for, or used at such an event.

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society > leisure > social event > [noun]

special occasion1574

affair1736

functiona1792

event1820

doa1824

socialities1825

occasion1855

time1878

society > leisure > social event > [adjective] > suitable for social events

special occasion1574

society > leisure > social event > a merrymaking or convivial occasion > [noun]

treschec1290

laetificationc1485

gossiping1557

special occasion1574

merry-meeting1597

merrymaking1618

frolic1645

merriment1663

rush1788

convivialities1830

merrymake1833

upshot1837

ball1879

spurt1885

sing-sing1899

jolly1905

rage1980

1574 J. Whitgift Def. Aunswere to Admon. 496 The Psalmes..all were made at the first vpon some speciall occasion.

1651 J. Howell S.P.Q.V. 52 Those who for som notable exploits..are at sundry times, and upon speciall occasions admitted thereunto [sc. as magistrates].

1735 M. Foster Exam. Scheme Church-power 127 Alterations in our Constitution..could be effected..by Councils held on Special Occasions.

1826 T. B. Macaulay Let. 26 July in G. O. Trevelyan Life & Lett. Macaulay (1876) I. iii. 143 He is not one of those show-talkers who reserve all their good things for special occasions.

1868 All Year Round 11 July 108/1 He visits the Barrack Room..on special occasions, as kit-inspection or muster-parade.

1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 74/2 The special occasion roll-call at Eton College is called ‘Absence’, which the boys attend in their tall hats.

1941 W. Abbot Handbk. Broadcasting (ed. 2) xxvi. 322 Staff writers prepare commercial continuity, talks, announcements, interviews, special-occasion scripts, original plays, adaptations, and often station publicity.

1949 Life 19 Sept. 173/1 He'd found the precious bottle in Mombasa two weeks before and had saved it for a special occasion.

1957 Times Lit. Suppl. 8 Nov. 678/5 Instruction covers everything from the regular features of the dinner table to special-occasion items for the buffet or the hors-d'œuvre tray.

2000 T. May Victorian Railway Worker 17 The station-master was a man of some substance, especially at the larger stations, where he might possess a frock coat and silk hat for special occasions.

2011 Hoosier Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 27 Nov. (Herald-Times ed.) a7/3 The staff specializes in perms, color, foils and special occasion hair styles, including proms and weddings.

special offer n. a specially reduced price or other financial inducement, usually available for only a limited period of time.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > low price or rate > [noun] > price reduced for a sale

special offer1855

sale price1902

1855 Masonic Rev. Jan. 255 This is a special offer, outside of our standing ‘terms’.

1932 Extension Mag. Feb. 64 (advt.) I want to take advantage of your special offer and enclose $3.50.

1977 Western Morning News 1 Sept. 1/1 Instant coffee is to be on ‘special offer’ in various shops and supermarkets for the next six months.

2012 Daily Tel. 12 Nov. 11/1 Shoppers are being offered money-off discounts and special offers.

special op n. (also with capital initials) Military (chiefly in plural) = special operation n.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military operations > [noun] > other operations

combined operation1834

night operation1835

police action1855

night op1916

special operation1917

island-hopping1944

jungle-bashing1954

special op1963

psy-op1965

1963 New Statesman 11 Jan. 51/3 What are ‘special ops’? Ways of forging documents and arranging murders and other deeds of darkness with government approval.

1988 R. J. Ray Hit Man Cometh x. 168 Devane had worked with Special Ops before... There were too many officers and not enough grunts.

2010 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 6 Apr. He is ex-British army, having got out after a nasty special op in Afghanistan when some civilians were killed.

special order n. (a) a directive issued in a particular situation or under special circumstances; (b) an order placed by a customer for an item which a shop does not have or keep in stock; (also) an order placed for an item which needs to be specially made or customized.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > buying > [noun] > order

special order1547

order1746

mail order1867

line1892

pre-order1957

society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > injunction or instruction > an injunction or instruction

charge138.

advisementa1387

instruction1410

jointc1475

injunction1526

special order1547

direction1576

encharge1595

direct1615

directing1632

directive1642

game law1820

mot d'ordre1905

1547 Proclam. Duke of Somerset (single sheet) Besides their free accesse and conuersacion in our said Campe, thei shalbe by speciall ordre from vs, truely satisfied and contented for the same.

1656 Humble Proposals to Parl. 7 The Chancery has by special orders of late ordered Alimony, but that was because the Ecclesiastical Courts were abolished.

1724 W. Bohun Practising Attorney ii. 194 The Examiner is not to examine any Witness to invalidate the Credit of any other Witness, but by special Order of the Court.

1871 N.Y. Times 12 July 1/2 The following special order was telegraphed to all the Police Stations in the City.

1938 Bakersfield Californian 4 May 9/8 A man.., upon learning that the store did not have it in stock, placed a special order for it.

1950 Pittsburgh Courier 1 July 1 Special orders have been issued naming the Second Army Band.., to lead off the giant annual Independence Day parade.

1987 J. C. Harle & A. Topsfield Indian Art Ashmolean Mus. ii. 71/2 It was possibly made as a special order for a European customer.

2009 M. C. Lamia & M. J. Krieger White Knight Syndrome vi. 92 He offered to place a special order for her, even though the supplements were in stock, just so he could get her phone number.

special-order v. North American transitive to place an order for (an item which a shop does not currently have or keep in stock); (also) to place an order for (an item which needs to be specially made or customized); cf. special order n. (b).

ΚΠ

1927 Evening Independent (Massillion, Ohio) 7 Apr. 3 (advt.) We will special order anything in Roses, Shrubs, Trees, and Evergreens at about 1/2 or less the price you can get it elsewhere.

1982 Boston Globe (Electronic ed.) 12 Aug. 1 You can special order a custom futon and platform from Essentials.

2014 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 5 Mar. l1 They no longer stock Arabic-Haitian kibi, but they can now be special ordered by the dozen, with two days notice.

special paper n. now historical (chiefly in the United Kingdom) an examination taken in addition to the advanced level of the General Certificate of Education, formerly known as a scholarship paper and used to support university entrance applications; cf. S level n. at S n.¹ Initialisms 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] > paper

test-paper1827

examination paper1829

paper1835

exam paper1837

taste-paper1860

bumf1889

special paper1960

1960 Economist 17 Sept. 1073/3 Those who get into the first three of those grades would then qualify to have their results in an ‘S’ or special paper taken in to account.

1963 Times Educ. Suppl. 1 Feb. 197/4 In your issue of November 23 a letter was published concerning the restriction imposed by the S.S.E.C. that no A level candidate may offer more than two of the special papers which are to replace the scholarship papers.

1976 Bridgwater Mercury 21 Dec. 1/5 Karen..passed all of her A level subjects, English, Economics and History at Grade A, as well as gaining a Distinction on the Special Paper in the last subject.

2002 South Wales Evening Post (Nexis) 12 Aug. 3 AEAs were taken for the first time this summer by the brainiest sixth formers. They replaced the discontinued ‘special papers’, known as S-levels.

special partner n. originally and chiefly U.S. a partner who has capital in a business under special conditions or provisions; cf. limited partner n. at limited adj. and n. Compounds, sleeping partner n. at sleeping adj. 5a.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > non-manual worker > businessman > [noun] > partner > types of partner

sleeping partner1785

latent partner1791

principal1806

special partner1811

silent partner1818

limited partner1824

sleeper1901

limited1953

1811 H. Binney Rep. Supreme Court Pennsylvania 3 319 Dallas and Ingersoll contrà, contended that the plaintiff and defendants had by the verdict been found to be special partners.

1828 J. Kent Comm. Amer. Law III. xliii. 13 The special partners may receive an annual interest on the capital invested, provided there be no reduction of the original capital.

1889 Cent. Dict. 4309/1 If the statute governing partnerships is violated the special partner becomes liable as a general partner.

1928 Financial Times 6 Jan. 5/1 Messrs. Harvey Fisk and Sons, of New York, have admitted into partnership Mr. John Aspinwall as a special partner and Mr. Frank L. Sherrer as a general partner.

2007 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 5 Jan. c3 Mr. Madigan was a special partner at Madison Dearborn, a private equity firm that is considering a bid for Tribune.

special police n. a police unit with specialized duties, esp. which differ from those typically assumed by the police.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > branch or part of police force > specific

water1552

armed police1787

special police1804

detective force1849

traffic police1883

vice squad1905

drug squad1913

blue force1920

ghost squad1922

flying squad1927

Sweeney1936

morality squad1945

courtesy patrol1961

strike force1961

pussy posse1963

drugs squad1965

vice1967

mobile1971

uniform branch1972

uniform1978

NCIS1991

society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > branch or part of police force > specific > foreign

special police1804

shock police1937

1804 Times 22 Aug. The King addressed the following note to the President de Tilly, Chief of the Special Police of the City.

1937 Life 28 June 29/1 Mayor Daniel A. Knaggs..called off the special police who had broken the Newton Steel strike.

2011 G. Toal & C. T. Dahlman Bosnia Remade iv. 117 Special police from the security center in Bijeljina eventually aided Zvornik police in expelling and arresting paramilitary groups.

special relationship n. a particularly close relationship between countries, often resulting from shared history, politics, or culture, spec. that of the United Kingdom with the United States.

ΚΠ

1900 Proc. 2nd Internat. Congregational Council 1899 162 We up in Canada..do not get very much recognition as a rule because of our peculiar relationship to Great Britain and our special relationship to the United States.

1929 E. C. Thomas Lay Folks' Hist. Liturgy i. xiv. 62 In addition to the missions mentioned above, there seems to have been a special relationship between Britain and Galicia.

1945 Hansard Commons 7 Nov. 1299 We should not abandon our special relationship with the United States and Canada about the atomic bomb.

1980 Encounter May 41/2 The encounters took on a peculiarly symbolic significance at a time when various signs point to the possible demise of Israel's ‘special relationship’ with West Germany and the United States.

2013 Guardian (Nexis) 30 Aug. 5 David Cameron..made strikingly few references to ‘our good friends and allies’ the Americans, let alone to the ‘special relationship’.

special rapporteur n. a person appointed by an international organization (esp. the United Nations) to investigate and report on a particular issue, esp. concerning human rights; cf. rapporteur n. 2.

ΚΠ

1922 Music Trades 5 Aug. 40/1 Special rapporteurs, according to the invitation, will be appointed to sum up the contents of the different papers submitted to the conference.

1930 E. Drummond League of Nations Introd. 14 In the event of a political dispute, the Council appoints a special rapporteur who explains the circumstances, suggests methods of settlement and gives a public account of the decisions reached by the Council.

1954 N.Y. Times 19 Jan. 3/3 The proceedings in the U.N... Commission on Human Rights... Appointed Charles D. Ammoun..as special rapporteur to undertake global study of discrimination in education.

2007 Hindustan Times 28 May 13/4 United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Myammar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, has called her confinement ‘cruel and unacceptable’.

special relativistic adj. [after special relativity n.] Physics of or relating to the special theory of relativity; modified or formulated in accordance with that theory.

ΚΠ

1921 L. Silberstein in Jrnl. Franklin Inst. 191 559 The addition theorem of velocities and special relativistic mechanics and optics of moving bodies.

1970 Nature 17 Oct. 273/1 The rectilinear Galilean transformation was discarded by Einstein in favour of the special-relativistic (Lorentz) transformation to a uniformly moving frame.

2007 D. Home & A. Whitaker Einstein's Struggles with Quantum Theory iii. 55 All special relativistic effects are believed to become negligibly small in the observationally verified domain of Newtonian mechanics.

special relativity n. [perhaps after German spezielle Relativität (although this is apparently first attested slightly later than in English: 1920 (in a work by Einstein) or earlier)] Physics = special theory of relativity at relativity n. 3.

ΚΠ

1919 tr. A. Einstein in Times 28 Nov. 13/6 The most important result of the special relativity system concerned the inert mass of a material system.

1956 E. H. Hutten Lang. Mod. Physics iii. 99 The theory of special relativity rests mainly on the Michelson experiment.

2010 Church Times 14 May 32/3 Special relativity endorses the concept that space-time is a single atemporal reality.

Special Reserve n. now historical (in Britain) a non-professional military force trained to act as a reserve for the regular armed forces in time of war.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > branch of army > [noun] > special reserves or Territorial Army

army of reserve1607

reserves1826

Special Reserve1907

Territorial Army1907

home guard1908

T.A.1924

TAVR1967

1907 Times 28 May 8/1 The Empress of India will be recommissioned to-day with a reduced nucleus crew for service in the Special Reserve.

1908 Times 11 Apr. 8/2 The second order details the precise conditions of the transfer of all Militia units, except those disbanded, to the Special Reserve.

1909 Army & Navy Gaz. 19 June 589/2 Mr. Haldane stated that bayonets are now being issued to all infantry units of the Special Reserve which are being armed with the short rifle.

1935 Regs. for Officers & Airmen of Special Reserve serving in R.A.F. Squadrons (Amendment 5) 1 Applications for the attendance of Special Reserve personnel to give evidence in private lawsuits will be reported at once through the usual channels.

2005 G. Sheffield & J. Bourne in D. Haig War Diaries & Lett. 1914–18 54 Haldane had played a key role in the preparation of the British Army for war, including the creation of..the Special Reserve.

special sense n. any of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and (in later use) touch.

ΚΠ

1606 S. Lennard tr. T. Buoni Problemes of Beautie xciii. 194 All other Delights whatsoeuer, belonging vnto the other speciall senses [It. sensi speciali], were especially graunted vnto man.

1687 Chirurgorum Comes ii. xxiv. 193/1 The Instruments of four special Senses, to wit, of Hearing, Seeing, Smelling and Tasting.

1868 J. C. Dalton Treat. Physiol. & Hygiene xvii. 305 Each special sense has a nerve which is devoted to it.

2006 K. D. Rose Beginning Age Mammals ii. 24/2 Cranial nerves (CNs) serve many vital functions: they are responsible for the special senses, control muscles and supply sensory innervation to the head and neck.

special session n. (a) British (chiefly in plural) a periodic meeting of justices of the peace, convened by statute to address a particular kind of business (now historical); occasionally with singular agreement; (b) a session of a legislative or regulatory body, convened outside the regular schedule in order to address urgent business.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > administration of justice > judicial body, assembly, or court > a or the session of a court > [noun] > type of

special session1581

extraordinary session1658

1581 W. Lambarde Eirenarcha ii. xx. 501 At the speciall Sessions, they [sc. the justices of the peace] are at libertie to giue charge, eyther all, or any of them.

a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Berks. 90 These suspecting that the Judges Itinerant in their circuit would be too favourable unto them, procured a special Session.

1742 J. Higgs Guide to Justices 157 They are to summon the Person or Persons..personally to appear before his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, at the next Special Sessions for your division.

1793 Connecticut Courant 5 Aug. At a special session of the Circuit Court of the United States, now sitting, an indictment was found by the grand jury against Joseph Ravara..for a misdemeanor.

1862 Penny Illustr. Paper 4 Oct. 219/1 No person is to keep cows without a licence obtained from the justices at a special sessions.

1947 Sun (Baltimore) 8 Nov. 6/2 The special session was called..to begin congressional study of the long range Marshall plan.

2000 D. Allen Ipswich Borough Arch. 91 Special Sessions were also held, such as the annual Licensing Meetings for inns and alehouses.

special situation n. Stock Market a situation where price movements of a stock are caused by factors unique to that security and independent of the market as a whole; frequently attributive.

ΚΠ

1946 B. Graham in Analysts Jrnl. 2 31 A special situation is one in which a particular development is counted upon to yield a satisfactory profit in the security even though the general market does not advance.

1994 D. A. Seiver Outsmarting Wall St. (ed. 3) ii. 31 Special-situation stocks are riskier than other stocks.

2006 Financial Times 25 May 21/1 The main purchasers..are..special situation investors.

special sort n. Typography a character, typically an accented letter or a symbol, that is not normally included in a font.

ΚΠ

1885 Inland Printer Nov. 119/2 (advt.) The dress on The Mail was furnished entire by your company with the exception of..some special sorts.

1936 S. Morison First Princ. Typography 4 The normal roman type (in simple form without special sorts, etc.) consists of ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ &.

1997 G. Page et al. Jrnl. Publishing iii. 74 In choosing the typeface, remember that chemistry, mathematics, physics, linguistics and foreign languages all demand special sorts.

2003 M. Belson On the Press i. 35 When a special sort was particularly complicated,..the apprentice would have to run to the Stereo Department to get a stereotyper to make the accent.

special stage n. (in rally driving) a stage involving particularly difficult driving.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > racing with vehicles > motor racing > [noun] > race testing car quality, skill, etc. > test or stage

noise check1960

special stage1961

1961 Motoring News 23 Nov. 10/3 This was a special stage and..Walter had, in effect, only wrong-slotted.

1977 Belfast Tel. 27 Jan. 25/4 The other two members of the team have elected him to drive all the competitive sections—or special stages—along the 18,000 mile route.

2013 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 7 Jan. (Sport section) 20 Carlos Sainz opened his campaign for a second Dakar Rally title by taking the opening 13-kilometre special stage between Lima and Pisco on Saturday.

special tail n. (formerly also tail special) [ < special adj. + tail n.², after Anglo-Norman and Law French taille special (see tail special at tail n.² 3b)] Law (now historical) limitation of an estate to a special class of heirs; = tail special at tail n.² 3b.

ΚΠ

1528–30 tr. T. Littleton Tenures (new ed.) f. ii Tenant in tayle speciall, is where landes and tenementes be gyuen vnto a man and his wyfe and to the heyres of theyr .ii. bodyes begoten.

?1538 Inst. Lawes Eng. sig. C.iv^v There is a generall tayle, and a specyall tayle.

1642 tr. J. Perkins Profitable Bk. v. §302. 134 If Tenant in generall taile, take a wife, and enfeoff a stranger and take back an estate unto him and his wife in speciall taile.

1762 T. Smollett Adventures Sir Launcelot Greaves I. i. 7 We must make a distinction between general tail and special tail.

1996 Cambr. Law Jrnl. 55 253 Under the 1384 settlement..the donor was herself tenant in special tail.

special team n. (chiefly in plural) (a) American Football a squad that is used to perform during kick-offs, punts, and other special plays (frequently attributive); (b) Ice Hockey the unit of a team that performs during a power play.

ΚΠ

1961 Times (San Mateo, Calif.) 26 Sept. 8/1 The coach said he thought the play of his special teams..fell down completely.

1985 Coaching Rev. Jan. 15/1 They could only win with special teams, two-way play and the best goaltending of the tournament.

1998 New Yorker 9 Nov. 59/4 He was made captain of the special-teams unit, also known in football as the ‘suicide squad’.

2006 G. Jantz Molding of Champion xii. 210 The calls are being made by the head coach, whose strategies may or may not be understood or appreciated by the special team coach.

2010 Gazette (Montreal) (Nexis) 12 Jan. b9 There's nothing wrong with the Canadiens' special teams, except for the amount of time they're on the ice.

special teamer n. American Football a player who is part of the special teams squad.

ΚΠ

1972 Washington Post 1 Nov. c2/3 Special teamer Mike Hull [has] a hip pointer.

1990 J. Izenberg No Medals for Trying iii. 91 The prototype special teamer is not the returner.

2014 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 13 Mar. d4/5 The Browns signed 5-8, 170-pound special teamer and backup cornerback Isaiah Trufant.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	special
释义	specialadj.adv.n. Brit. /ˈspɛʃl/, U.S. /ˈspɛʃ(ə)l/ Forms: early Middle English spetial, early Middle English 1600s spetiale, Middle English speciel, Middle English speciele, Middle English specyalle, Middle English specyel, Middle English speschalle, Middle English spesial, Middle English spessyal, Middle English spesyal, Middle English sspecial, Middle English–1500s speciale, Middle English–1500s specialle, Middle English–1500s specyal, Middle English–1500s specyele, Middle English–1600s speciall, Middle English–1600s specyall, Middle English– special, 1500s spesyall, 1500s–1600s spetiall, 1600s speaciall, 1600s spesall, 1600s spetyall; Scottish pre-1700 spaschelle, pre-1700 speacialle, pre-1700 specaile, pre-1700 specale, pre-1700 speceale, pre-1700 speceall, pre-1700 speciale, pre-1700 speciall, pre-1700 specialle, pre-1700 speciell, pre-1700 specull, pre-1700 specyal, pre-1700 specyall, pre-1700 specyalle, pre-1700 specyelle, pre-1700 speseall, pre-1700 spesiall, pre-1700 spesialle, pre-1700 spessall, pre-1700 spessiall, pre-1700 spesyll, pre-1700 spetial, pre-1700 spetiall, pre-1700 spetiell, pre-1700 spetyall, pre-1700 spyciall, pre-1700 1700s– special, 1800s– speeshal (north-eastern), 1900s– speecial, 1900s– speeshul (Shetland), 1900s– speeshull (Shetland). Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French special, especial; Latin speciālis. Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman speciall, speciel, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French special (second half of the 12th cent.; French spécial ), variants of Anglo-Norman especiall, especiel, Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French especial particular as opposed to general (c1160), that has specific properties (c1165), (of a friend) particularly close or dear (c1235 or earlier), (in legal use) denoting a particular or distinctive instance or case of the thing, action, or person specified (late 13th cent. or earlier), specific (end of the 13th cent. or earlier), exceptional, especially valuable (1350 or earlier; > especial adj.), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin speciālis particular as opposed to general, specific, individual, belonging to or concerned with a particular species, in post-classical Latin also private, confidential (from 8th cent. in British sources; 13th cent. in continental sources), that has particular value, significance, or importance (from 8th cent. (frequently from 11th cent.) in British sources), dear, particularly loved (from 10th cent. in British sources) < speciēs species n. + -ālis -al suffix¹. Compare especial adj. and the Romance forms (with prosthetic e) cited at that entry.Compare Spanish †special, adjective (first half of the 13th cent.), Italian speciale, adjective (13th cent. as †speziale); also Middle Dutch speciael, adjective and adverb (Dutch speciaal), German spezial, adjective (15th cent. as †special; now chiefly as first element of compounds), speziell, adjective and adverb (18th cent. as †speciell). With the use as noun compare post-classical Latin specialis particular friend (5th cent.), Anglo-Norman special, Anglo-Norman and Middle French especial (masculine noun) particularly close or dear friend or associate (c1240 or earlier), (feminine noun) mistress, female lover (end of the 14th cent. or earlier). A. adj. 1. Having a close or exclusive connection with a specified person, thing, or set; own, particular, individual. a. Designating a person: particular or specific to the specified person or group, one's own. Now rare (in later use tending to merge with or be understood as sense A. 4a).With quot. ?c1225 cf. quot. c1230 at sense A. 2a, from a different version of the same text. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > [adjective] > related or connected > closely related > of persons special?c1225 ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 47 Nule ich naut þet ani seo ow bute leaue habbe of ouwer special meister. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Deut. vii. 6 Þat þou be to hym aspesial peple [L. sis ei populus peculiaris]. c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 238 [The] king of Napples, mon..mak..oblissing to the pape, as speciale lord souerane till him. 1508 W. Kennedy Flyting (Chepman & Myllar) in Poems W. Dunbar (1998) I. 214 I am the kingis blude, his trew speciall clerk. 1588 in D. Masson Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1881) 1st Ser. IV. 287 Drawing in of strangearis, and, to preoccupat thair arryvall, hes causit his speciall kynnismen and houshald servandis surprise and occupy his Hienes awne houssis. 1611 Bible (King James) Deut. vii. 6 The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people vnto himselfe. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. i. 171 To Eltam will I, where the young King is, Being ordayn'd his speciall Gouernor. 1737 R. Challoner Catholick Christian Instructed xxiii. 213 In this Nation we keep the Days of St. Thomas of Canterbury, and of St. George, as our special Patrons. a1766 J. Leland Disc. Var. Subj. (1769) III. xx. 402 Two of the Evangelists, Matthew and John, were Christ's Apostles, who were his special Intimates, and constantly attended him in his personal Ministry. 1898 T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin i. ii I always looked upon him as my special paid henchman. 1947 W. A. Chalfant Gold, Guns, & Ghost Towns 67 The sporting fraternity were his special admirers. b. Designating a thing: specific, individual, or particular to the specified person, thing, or set. Now rare (in later use tending to merge with or be understood as sense A. 4a). ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > [adjective] > related or connected > closely related speciala1398 sib?1507 affined1586 cousin1590 affine1614 incorporatea1616 vehementa1626 intimate1692 affinitive1745 affiliate1800 affinal1834 proximate1985 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. viii. 70 We may take þe principal and special propirtees of þis ordre. 1484 W. Caxton tr. Ordre of Chyualry (1926) vii. 113 The comyn wele is gretter and more necessary than propre good and specyall. 1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Luke v. f. 54^v The propre and moste speciall office of suche an one. 1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball ii. xliv. 202 Floures..without any speciall smell. 1583 T. Nicols Pleasant Descr. Ilands of Canaria sig. Bij^v Their language was speciall, and not mixed with Romane speech or Arabian. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 434 Sprots salted haue a special propertie to heal the biting of the beetle or venomous fly Prester. 1675 N. Grew Compar. Anat. Trunks ii. iv. 59 The specifying of the Sap dependeth chiefly on the special nature of the parts. 1725 J. Sedgwick New Treat. Liquors ii. 29 The special Entrance and Ingress of the receptant diluting Fluid, is in no wise attainable, or absolutely material. 1739 P. Keir Enq. Medicinal Waters Bristol i. 36 The special nature of this salt, which in chalybeat waters appears evidently to be acid. 1855 J. McCosh Method Divine Govt. (ed. 4) iii. i. 296 Every intuitive principle in our constitution has its special truth to reveal and sanction. 1870 J. Yeats Nat. Hist. Commerce 1 Each region has its special treasures. 1911 in P. Farrer Confid. Corr. on Cross Dressing (1997) 15 I had to have a regular wardrobe of girl's underclothing for my special use, for winter and summer wear. 1965 C. K. Keck Handbk. on Care of Paintings i. 15 This means of scientific examination causes materials to fluoresce according to their special properties. c. Particular, specific, or individual to a single person, thing, or set. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > [adjective] > related or connected > related to siba1200 special1561 1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. iv. f. 20 He speaketh not there of the ordinary choosing of ministers, but chalengeth to hymselfe y^t which was special to the Apostles. 1565 A. Nowell Reproufe f. 41 One woorde that is speciall to the Bishop of Rome onelie. 1604 T. Bilson Suruey Christs Sufferings 532 That which is speciall to the wicked, as reiection from the fauour and grace of God. 1689 J. Canaries Serm. Edinb. 35 Whatever other they shall assume, as their peculiar, will sound as much more big, as its being Special to them, will render it more deserving that it should. 1710 J. Asgill Assertion 12 This Entail was thus special to the Tribe of Judah only, exclusive of the other Tribes. 1788 J. Berkenhout First Lines Theory & Pract. Philos. Chem. ii. 203 A complete laboratory..containing, beside the peculiar utensils and instruments of chemistry, a variety of implements special to other arts, and many that are common to all. 1871 J. Ruskin Arrows of Chace (1880) I. 227 Nearly every great church in France has some merit special to itself. 1894 Nature's Method in Evol. Life vii. 77 The new force special to the whale. 1960 Times 29 Sept. (Nigeria Suppl.) p. xxi/5 But two other local races special to Nigeria, of that curious little pithy-haired antelope, the Klipspringer,..seem doomed. 1972 National Geographic Sept. 438/2 We used to have a number of animals that were special to the Isle of Man. 2010 Church Times 26 Mar. 24/3 Edward's solution concentrates on the material special to Luke's Gospel. 2. a. Having an individual, particular, or limited application, object, or intention; affecting or concerning a single person, thing, group, etc.special intention: see intention n. 12b.With quot. c1230 cf. quot. ?c1225 at sense A. 1a, from a different version of the same text. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [adjective] specialc1230 particulara1387 especialc1400 appropriated1619 the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [adjective] > appointed for a special purpose specialc1230 the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [adjective] > belonging to a particular thing or person specialc1230 proper1340 peculiara1475 specifical?a1475 singular?a1513 private1526 privy1560 personed1565 individual1570 particular1582 idiotical1655 specific1665 sacred1667 specific1667 specifiala1670 idiomatic1771 idiomatical1774 appropriate1796 exclusive1804 propriate1820 especial1854 dedicated1969 c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 33 Nulle ich þet nan iseo ow bute he habbe of ower meistre spetiale leaue. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 15 Hit wes ine þe mayde Marie oþer ine zome oþren be special grace þet he hedde of god. c1400 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1871) III. 441 Þai say furst, þat speciale prayere..is better þen generale. 1445–6 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. Feb. 1445 §42. m. 6 That..a speciall commission be made to the chief justice of youre benche. a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Giiii^v From you I receyued a letter whiche conteyned in it a specyall clause, That I sholde vse largesse. 1576 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent 290 Of a speciall intent and purpose to pray to God for raine. 1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice v. i. 292 There doe I giue to you..a speciall deede of gift. View more context for this quotation 1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 918 On which day this..came..without any special appointment, to the presse. 1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan ii. xxvi. 145 In which case there is no speciall Law ordained. 1764 R. Burn Hist. Poor Laws 194 To..distribute the same, together with other special benefactions, to such as shall have most need. 1802 W. Paley Nat. Theol. xv. 294 It is a special purpose, specially consulted throughout. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. vi. 51 He was sent to London charged with several special commissions of high importance. 1862 Sat. Rev. 8 Feb. 147 Popular theology dispenses with special knowledge as a key to difficulties. 1954 K. Amis Lucky Jim iii. 27 Have you got that syllabus together..the list of stuff for your special subject next year? 1971 P. D. James Shroud for Nightingale vii. 243 He might well have told his special nurse or blurted it out in his delirium. 2006 Daily Tel. 30 June 15/7 The parliament in Buenos Aires established a special commission with a brief to ‘Malvinise’ the country's political agenda. b. Chiefly in predicative use. Entering into details or particulars; precise, specific. Somewhat rare. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > [adjective] > going into detail > detailed specialc1449 particular1548 punctual1611 strict1645 syllabical1647 circumstantiate1649 circumstantiated1654 detaileda1779 intimate1817 inventorial1830 particularized1860 fine-grained1894 pinpoint1960 the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > quality of being restricted or limited > [adjective] narroweOE restraint1445 modifiedc1485 limitate1541 restricteda1550 strait-laced1549 scant1556 circumcised1561 contract1561 restrained1578 determinate1586 limited1590 restrict1597 strict1597 confined1605 determineda1616 limitary1620 prescript1645 modificated1646 circumscribed1647 conscribed1654 limitated1654 reserved1654 coarctated1655 straiteneda1665 unabsolute1694 stinted1710 bounded1711 contracted1711 cramped1741 special1815 municipal1856 fine-cut1894 stingy1927 c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 214 Forto make..persoones come into remembraunce of a mater, ymagis and picturis seruen in a specialer maner than bokis doon. 1681 London Gaz. No. 1648/4 Providing always that the Libel..be special, as to a certain place..; and also be special as to the time. 1815 J. Bowles Claims of Established Church ii. 13 The Commission thus given to the Apostles..was extremely special and restricted with regard to the individuals appointed to act under it. 1848 J. T. White Xenophon's Anab. (1872) iii. iv. §15 Notes 174 Zeune refers the term to their imitating the Scythians in the mode of discharging the arrow; but this is too special. 1876 E. Mellor Priesthood viii. 348 This confession must not only be general, but special, involving a minute description of all the circumstances in which the sins were committed. 1907 Jrnl. Electr., Power & Gas 30 Nov. 462/2 If university courses become too special.., specialists only of considerable experience will be competent to give such instruction. 1965 N. J. Hicks Notes Differential Geom. ii. 18 In a very real sense, this chapter and the next are too special, i.e., much of the theory belongs to an arbitrary submanifold of a ‘semi-Riemannian’ manifold. 3. Exceptional in quality or degree; unusual; out of the ordinary; esp. excelling in some (usually positive) quality; exceptionally good. a. Of an abstract concept, immaterial thing, etc.: out of the ordinary, unusual; exceptional in quality or degree. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective] faireOE bremea1000 goodlyOE goodfulc1275 noblec1300 pricec1300 specialc1325 gentlec1330 fine?c1335 singulara1340 thrivena1350 thriven and throa1350 gaya1375 properc1380 before-passinga1382 daintiful1393 principala1398 gradelya1400 burlyc1400 daintyc1400 thrivingc1400 voundec1400 virtuousc1425 hathelc1440 curiousc1475 singlerc1500 beautiful1502 rare?a1534 gallant1539 eximious1547 jolly1548 egregious?c1550 jellyc1560 goodlike1562 brawc1565 of worth1576 brave?1577 surprising1580 finger-licking1584 admirablea1586 excellinga1586 ambrosial1598 sublimated1603 excellent1604 valiant1604 fabulous1609 pure1609 starryc1610 topgallant1613 lovely1614 soaringa1616 twanging1616 preclarent1623 primea1637 prestantious1638 splendid1644 sterling1647 licking1648 spankinga1666 rattling1690 tearing1693 famous1695 capital1713 yrare1737 pure and —1742 daisy1757 immense1762 elegant1764 super-extra1774 trimming1778 grand1781 gallows1789 budgeree1793 crack1793 dandy1794 first rate1799 smick-smack1802 severe1805 neat1806 swell1810 stamming1814 divine1818 great1818 slap-up1823 slapping1825 high-grade1826 supernacular1828 heavenly1831 jam-up1832 slick1833 rip-roaring1834 boss1836 lummy1838 flash1840 slap1840 tall1840 high-graded1841 awful1843 way up1843 exalting1844 hot1845 ripsnorting1846 clipping1848 stupendous1848 stunning1849 raving1850 shrewd1851 jammy1853 slashing1854 rip-staving1856 ripping1858 screaming1859 up to dick1863 nifty1865 premier cru1866 slap-bang1866 clinking1868 marvellous1868 rorty1868 terrific1871 spiffing1872 all wool and a yard wide1882 gorgeous1883 nailing1883 stellar1883 gaudy1884 fizzing1885 réussi1885 ding-dong1887 jim-dandy1888 extra-special1889 yum-yum1890 out of sight1891 outasight1893 smooth1893 corking1895 large1895 super1895 hot dog1896 to die for1898 yummy1899 deevy1900 peachy1900 hi1901 v.g.1901 v.h.c.1901 divvy1903 doozy1903 game ball1905 goodo1905 bosker1906 crackerjack1910 smashinga1911 jake1914 keen1914 posh1914 bobby-dazzling1915 juicy1916 pie on1916 jakeloo1919 snodger1919 whizz-bang1920 wicked1920 four-star1921 wow1921 Rolls-Royce1922 whizz-bang1922 wizard1922 barry1923 nummy1923 ripe1923 shrieking1926 crazy1927 righteous1930 marvy1932 cool1933 plenty1933 brahmaa1935 smoking1934 solid1935 mellow1936 groovy1937 tough1937 bottler1938 fantastic1938 readyc1938 ridge1938 super-duper1938 extraordinaire1940 rumpty1940 sharp1940 dodger1941 grouse1941 perfecto1941 pipperoo1945 real gone1946 bosting1947 supersonic1947 whizzo1948 neato1951 peachy-keen1951 ridgey-dite1953 ridgy-didge1953 top1953 whizzing1953 badass1955 wild1955 belting1956 magic1956 bitching1957 swinging1958 ridiculous1959 a treat1959 fab1961 bad-assed1962 uptight1962 diggish1963 cracker1964 marv1964 radical1964 bakgat1965 unreal1965 pearly1966 together1968 safe1970 bad1971 brilliant1971 fabby1971 schmick1972 butt-kicking1973 ripper1973 Tiffany1973 bodacious1976 rad1976 kif1978 awesome1979 death1979 killer1979 fly1980 shiok1980 stonking1980 brill1981 dope1981 to die1982 mint1982 epic1983 kicking1983 fabbo1984 mega1985 ill1986 posho1989 pukka1991 lovely jubbly1992 awesomesauce2001 nang2002 bess2006 amazeballs2009 boasty2009 daebak2009 beaut2013 the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > state of being noteworthy or remarkable > [adjective] specialc1325 notablec1390 oddc1400 notary1421 insignec1465 rial1487 noteworthy1552 signal1591 signal1591 remarkable1593 of note1596 memorated1631 distinguishable1720 nameable1780 markworthy1799 mad1941 pipperoo1945 ring-a-ding1960 pass-remarkable1974 the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adjective] > special, extraordinary, or unusual sunderlepeOE specialc1325 strangec1330 undeemousa1400 outragec1400 singularc1400 stravagant1565 unusual1582 extraordinarya1586 remarkable1593 exordinary1601 peculiar1608 stupendous1640 eccentricala1652 particular1665 out-of-the-way1675 uncommon1705 awfy1724 exceptionable1801 tremendous1831 exceptional1846 exceptive1849 exceptionary1850 spesh1874 heart-stopping1891 off-brand1929 wild1955 cracker1964 c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) 8730 Special loue þer adde ibe er..Bituene him & þe kinges doȝter. c1475 Advice to Lovers in J. O. Halliwell Select. Minor Poems J. Lydgate (1840) 44 Do almesse dedes where nede is specialle. 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection Pref. sig. Aiii This treatyse promisseth..thre greate prerogatiues or special benefites. 1573 G. Harvey Let.-bk. (1884) 1 Harti thanks for the..special gud wil which you have alwais..shewid me. a1616 W. Shakespeare Twelfth Night (1623) iii. iv. 59 Let some of my people haue a speciall care of him. View more context for this quotation 1624 J. Ussher in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Lit. Men (1843) (Camden) 131 The first bookes that I shall have speciall neede of. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ii. 1033 Mortals..whom God and good Angels guard by special grace. View more context for this quotation 1717 in Minutes of Evid. Nairne Peerage (1874) 145 in Sessional Papers House of Lords (H.L. D) XII. 199 With the special advice and consent of his said lady. 1781 W. Cowper Expostulation 631 The moles and bats in full assembly find, On special search, the keen-ey'd eagle blind. 1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian ix, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 235 As you say you have special reason to apprehend violence from them. 1857 W. A. Miller Elements Chem. III. ii. §4. 97 The foregoing facts..have a special interest. 1867 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. App. 635 Men of no special celebrity. 1925 Soil Surv. Putnam County, Indiana (U.S. Dept. Agric.) 6 In only a few places has any special effort been made to protect the forests or increase the production of timber. 1951 R. Firth Elements Social Organization i. 29 Special attention was..given to such important matters as the breadth of the educational ladder. 2013 Brattleboro (Vermont) Reformer (Nexis) 12 Mar. Combat awards are sacred, reflecting the special bravery of Americans who have been willing to sacrifice everything in the defense of the United States. b. Of a material thing, event, etc.: out of the ordinary; excelling in some (usually positive) quality. ΚΠ 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 234 Alneway habbeþ þe maydines ane speciale coroune. c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 263 (MED) Þis Iohannes..come befor a speciall ymage of our Lady. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Jer. xxii. 7 I will prepare a destroyer..to hew downe thy special Cedre trees. 1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie ii. v. 35 Thinges most speciall and woorthie of memorie. c1600 (c1350) Alisaunder (Greaves) (1929) 197 (MED) Der [perh. read ðer] sprong never spicerie so speciall in erþe. 1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 335 A speciall fountaine, into which God infused a wonderfull gift and vertue. 1685 N. Crouch Eng. Empire in Amer. xxii. 208 They have Horses so plentifull that a special one may be bought for six or seven pound. 1751 T. Smollett Peregrine Pickle II. lii. 117 The skin and feet of a special ram-cat, new flea'd. a1794 M. Palmer Dialogue Devonshire Dial. (1839) 59 There is two special stubberd trees, vor making squab pies and lamb's wool. 1831 W. Scott Castle Dangerous i, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. III. 218 A few special spots excepted, the soil..was more and more mixed with the pastoral and woodland country. 1886 C. Scott Pract. Sheep-farming 74 It..is only advisable with some very special stock-ram, whose progeny are valuable. 1950 E. Hyams From Waste Land 204 Pamphlets issued by the French wine trade..to persuade the customer that the Red Biddy he is drinking is something very special and fine indeed. 1986 A. Stoddard Living Beautiful Life (1988) i. 3 ‘Rituals’ is my term for patterns you create in your everyday living that uplift the way you do ordinary things, so that a simple task rises to the level of something special. 2013 Evening Standard (Nexis) 13 Mar. 35 Choosing, wearing and talking about special shoes is part of a ritual for many of our shoppers in London. c. Of a person: exceptionally good, talented, etc.; exceptional, outstanding, remarkable; (formerly also) spec. †notable, important, distinguished (obsolete).With use designating a person who is precious to the speaker (as e.g. quots. 1854, 1947) cf. also sense A. 5.In quot. 1830 colloquial: †particularly interested or informed (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [adjective] > worthy of notice specialc1405 eminentc1420 markablec1449 noteworthy1552 regardable1572 respectable1584 of —— observation1587 considerable1589 of (great, little, etc.) mark1590 signal1591 remarkable1593 conspicuous1604 noble1604 observative1608 observable1609 significant1642 noteful1644 signalized1652 tall1655 curious1682 notice-worthy1713 unco1724 noticeable1793 handsome1813 epoch-forming1816 measurable1839 epochal1857 epoch-making1863 era-making1894 epoch-marking1895 high profile1950 landmark1959 the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > familiarity > [adjective] > knowing about, familiar with craftyOE slyc1175 coutha1225 well acquainteda1250 privyc1300 cunningc1325 well-groundeda1438 acquainted?a1439 familiar1509 at home1531 overseen1533 intelligent1546 long-experienced1567 conversant1573 skilful1596 accomplished1603 frequent1609 well (better, best) verseda1610 understanding1612 sound1615 studieda1616 technical1617 versed1622 conversing1724 versant1787 on intimate habits1809 special1830 inquainted1849 pre-acquainted1907 sophisticated1952 c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Parson's Tale (Ellesmere) (1877) §894 Whan they doon deedly synne they been the special traytours of god. 1461 H. Windsor in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 251 I shuld haue had as speciall and as gode a maister of you as any pour man. ?1504 S. Hawes Example of Vertu sig. hh.iii Our Sauyour Ihesu deere & specyall. 1591 in D. Masson Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1881) 1st Ser. IV. 623 The speciall and cheif personis of the said parochin. 1602 W. Fulbecke Pandectes 32 So did the Thebane state a long time florish..by the wisedome of Pelopidas, Epamondas, and other speciall men. 1639 T. Fuller Hist. Holy Warre ii. xl. 97 These proved excellent souldiers and speciall horsemen, and are called Mammalukes. 1655 in M. V. Hay Blairs Papers (1929) 87 God knouis best..what complents he hes mead..to others special persons with whome I haue frequently adow. 1747 B. Hoadly Suspicious Husband i. iii A special Acquaintance I have made to-day! 1784 E. Allen Reason ii. §8. 98 Yet it is hard for such persons, who have verily believed that they are elected (and thus by a predetermination of God become his special favorites) to give up their notions of a predetermination of all events. 1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd I. ii. v. 120 I ain't special 'bout pedigrees. 1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words II. 271 She's a special favourite. 1904 A. Griffiths Fifty Years Public Service xii. 169 A strong brigade of single workers, ‘special’ convicts, ‘blue dress men’ of exemplary conduct. 1947 Life 15 Sept. 131/2 (advt.) Doesn't this give you a wonderful Christmas idea for a very special little girl? 2013 Sunday Times (Nexis) 14 July (Sport section) 6 He cared about them. He made everybody feel that they were special. 4. a. Distinctive in some way; distinguished from others of the kind by a particular quality or feature; particular, specific.Frequently overlapping with sense A. 3. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adjective] speciala1387 especialc1400 principal1417 peculiarc1449 extraordinaryc1460 enspeciala1533 individual1646 different1856 speciality1879 speshul1900 a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 27 (MED) Eueriche prouince and londe is descryued for to me come to Britayne þe laste of alle, as most special. a1400 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Harl.) 8320 Ȝyt ys þyr a specyal spece Þat doþ leccherye klymbe by a grece. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Parson's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) §414 Alle othere synnes ben som tyme agayns o special vertu, but certes enuye is agayns alle vertues. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Zech. xiv. 8 This shalbe that specyall daye, which is knowne vnto the Lorde. 1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 32 Seing it is the purpose of y^e Prophet to adorn Christ with such special notes as may builde our Faith vpon him. 1620 T. Granger Syntagma Logicum 43 Aristotle saith, a man is the most speciall. 1628 T. Spencer Art of Logick 131 That is most speciall, vnto which there can be no other Species inferior. 1725 I. Watts Logick i. iii. §3 A special Idea is call'd by the Schools, a Species. 1768 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued II. ii. 276 As well in entire systems as in their sundry parts, yea, members, and moreover, the speciallest species of them. 1841 Penny Cycl. XXI. 178/2 Secreted in a particular part of plants for a special purpose. 1854 M. Evans tr. L. Feuerbach Essence Christianity iii. 44 God as God..has no more significance for religion than a fundamental general principle has for a special science. 1861 M. Pattison in Westm. Rev. Apr. 415 The Germans..maintained in it an altar, and had their own masses said in it on special days. 1884 J. Sully Outl. Psychol. xii. 553 The order of development of the special sensibilities..concerned. 1922 E. von Arnim Enchanted April (1989) 318 We arranged not to write to each other unless there was something special. I wanted to have a month that was perfectly blank. 1974 Cape Times 1 Aug. 1/6 The United Party was thought to have the edge overall through having a commanding lead in the postal and special votes. 2004 Time Out N.Y. 30 Dec. 28/2 Corkage policies should be used only in very special circumstances. b. Additional to the usual or ordinary. ΚΠ 1835 Morning Chron. 21 Feb. His Excellency and suite left town for Liverpool, by the railway, a special train having been prepared for their accommodation. 1897 Jrnl. House Rep. Iowa 693 There is in the constitution no suggestion that there shall be a difference between the power of a regular session and a special or extra session. 1915 Indiana Univ. Bull. 15 May 13 A number of special lectures, on various topics of interest to law students, are given each semester by eminent members of the bench and bar. 1967 Listener 2 Nov. 570/3 On the subject of ‘pre-empting’—supplanting scheduled programmes in favour of special programmes of public interest—..he had some extremely interesting things to say. 2002 St. Louis (Missouri) Post-Dispatch (Nexis) 13 July 38 Smith recently held a special class at the West County YMCA in Chesterfield. 5. a. Of a friend: particularly close or dear. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > intimate or familiar > of friends: admitted to intimacy speciala1387 a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 9 Þan special frendes [L. sodalibus meis] þat knewe myn entent..prayed me besiliche, þat [etc.]. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13365 Þe bridgom did alle þider call His specialiest freindes all. 1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xiv. 344 Come nere, my specyall frende. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. (Rawl.) (1898) 151 (MED) Yestyrday he hadd frendys Speciall, but today he haue ham all y-lyke. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Acts x. C Cornelius..had called together his kynszfolkes and speciall frendes. 1604 T. Wright Passions of Minde (new ed.) v. 242 We may have many well-willers, but very few speciall friends: well-willers be generall friends. 1691 A. Wood Athenæ Oxonienses II. 191 This book, as Mr. Ley's special friend hath told me, was written by the said Ley. 1714 R. A. Hunter Monoropolis i. ii. 3 One of the Servants..being my special Friend, and knowing how eagerly my Stomach stood towards what was forbidden me by the Physitians, conveys a Hind of Pork into the Porrige. 1788 G. Eunson Anc. & Present State Orkney 76 He, or his special friends, are generally elected the parliamentary representors of this county and burgh. 1863 A. K. H. Boyd Graver Thoughts Country Parson 240 A Christian man ought never to choose for his special friend a person who, he knows, has no religion. 1913 E. H. L. Turpin Happy Acres ii. 14 There are children, a girl about my age, to be my specialest friend. 1975 Jackie 15 Feb. 33/3 ‘A Valentine’ (known as Arnold, or Big Ears to his special friends) is a rather spotty, boring youth. 2011 J. M. Leone Slices of Life 1 This piece is dedicated to my special friend, Caryn Kaufman. She has known me since I was three years old. †b. In predicative use. Of a person: held in particular esteem or affection; particularly close or dear to; particularly intimate with. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > intimate or familiar > closely associated or acquainted fastOE specialc1390 near1523 inward1535 close1577 particular1588 lié1855 solid1882 c1390 MS Vernon Homilies in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1877) 57 268 (MED) Eiþer was special to oþur As Mon is to his owne broþur. a1400 (c1300) Monk returns from Death (Coll. Phys.) in J. Small Eng. Metrical Homilies (1862) 30 An cloyster monk loued him ful wel, And was til him ful speciel. ?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 2610 Elfled, þat honorabil abbas, To whaim cuthbert sa special was. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) v. 501 Thai vald nocht persauit be, That thai war speciall to the king. a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 906 For o knycht he send, That was most speciall with the lady kend. c. Designating a person with whom one has a romantic relationship. Esp. in special someone. ΚΠ 1924 Theatre Mag. May 4/3 Russian decor and pretty waitresses in costume, dim lights and the afore-emphasized seats around the wall make this an ideal place to take a special someone. 1948 Life 9 Feb. 57 When there's someone special in your heart, you want to tell her or him so in a special way. 1978 Cincinnati May 78/1 If you want to meet a special friend for some romantic browsing,..go for a lunch and a stroll at one of Cincinnati's galleries. 1986 Chicago Tribune (Electronic ed.) 16 Feb. 1 She's waiting for that ‘special guy’ to come along. 1996 Times 2 Mar. (Weekend section) 9 Widower... Seeks that special lady..to share the good things in life. 2012 J. Corvino & M. Gallagher Debating Same-sex Marriage ii. 58 Marriage also sends the message that it's good for people to have a special someone to care for them. 6. Of a person: appointed or employed for a particular purpose or occasion. Also: devoted to a specific or restricted field of study or research.In quot. ?c1450 in predicative use with in. ΘΚΠ the world > time > duration > shortness or brevity in time > [adjective] > temporary or provisional whilwendlicc1000 whilenda1050 specialc1400 seasonable1549 temporary1567 provisional1597 provisionary1617 temporaneal1625 provisory1630 interimistical1643 pro tempore1649 temporaneous1656 non-permanent1782 jury-rigged1788 ad interim1806 interim1808 meantime1840 running1851 flying1857 pro tem1858 interimistic1859 temp1909 caretaker1945 society > authority > office > holder of office > [adjective] > other types of official generally simplec1380 general1400 specialc1400 ordinary1524 supernumeral1565 supernumerary1624 unfixed1661 society > authority > office > appointment to office > [adjective] > appointed for a particular occasion specialc1400 society > education > learning > study > [adjective] > specializing specializing1701 particularistic1840 special1846 specialistic1856 c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 7603 (MED) By a speciale messager J wil hir sende loue-drurye. 1406 Rolls of Parl.: Henry IV (Electronic ed.) Parl. Mar. 1406 Pleas §8. m. 2 Our generals and specials attournes and deputes. c1430 N. Love Mirror Blessed Life (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 49 Peraunter gabriel that was special messanger of this werk. ?c1450 Life St. Cuthbert (1891) l. 843 Þai were speciale in his seruyse. 1564 Proclam. Elizabeth I 18 Feb. 1 The kyng of Spayne and his subiectes, appoynted speciall commissioners of trust, to haue an extraordinary power and aucthoritie, to heare, and spedely to determine and redresse all such complaintes. 1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 108 We will..that our speciall renter of our foresaid realmes..paye by yere a thousand marke of siluer. 1646 T. Gataker Mistake Removed 18 Having from the mouth of God, by a special expresse, received a release. 1679 T. Oates True Narr. Horrid Plot 5 The Letter..was carried by a special messenger, for which he had 10 Pattacoones. 1717 A. Pope Epil. Jane Shore in Wks. 413 He'd recommend her, as a special breeder. 1774 O. Goldsmith Retaliation 135 Then what was his failing? come tell it, and burn ye, He was—could he help it?—a special attorney. 1846 Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 18 410 Each special inquirer in the wide field of natural science. 1865 Men of the Time 714/2 He was employed as Special Commissioner during the Irish famine. 1908 Atlantic Monthly Apr. 489/2 The scientific spirit..as embodied in the special researcher, has of necessity withdrawn itself. 1926 Daily Chron. 13 May 1/3 Measures must be taken to demobilise the special constabulary..and to ensure the speedy return to normal conditions. 1980 P. G. Winslow Counsellor Heart xx. 215 Men were sent to saturate the area. The Special Patrol Group was called in. 2009 Financial Times 25 Nov. 11/1 Todd Stern, US special envoy for climate change, has been stressing China's progress on energy efficiency. 7. Law. Designating a particular or distinctive instance or case of the thing, action, or person specified, as special act, special bail, special bailiff, special bastard, special bastardy, special heir, special magistrate, special occupant, special prosecutor, special resolution, special tail, special term, special verdict, etc.See also special issue n. at Compounds 2, special jury n. at jury n. 2d, special plea n., special pleader n.¹, special pleading n.In use designating legal officers partly overlapping with sense A. 6. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adjective] > specific with legal terms special1422 1422 in H. Nicolas Proc. & Ordinances Privy Council (1834) III. 17 (MED) A special act maad in parlement..and by auctoritee of parlement confermed. c1485 ( G. Hay Bk. Law of Armys (2005) 118 Vassallis ar behaldyn to thair baroun jn speciale jurisdictioun modifyit, and to the king jn generale. c1523 J. Rastell Expos. Terminorum Legum Anglorum sig. B.1/2 Whan such specyall bastardy is aleggyd it shall be tried by the contrey and not by the byshop. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch Liues 214 Declared openly to the people, that he made him his heire generall, if he dyed without heires speciall of his bodie. 1593 Act 35 Eliz. (single sheet) During the said Terme there shall not be any trialles by Iuries or any iudgements vpon Demurrers, or special Verdicts, or such like, in any of her Highnesse Courts of Kings Bench, Common Pleas, or Exchequer. 1623 T. Powell Attourneys Acad. 167 The Common-pleas enioynes speciall Bayle for 10. l. 1686 G. Mackenzie Observ. Acts Parl. 389 The 6 Act of this Parliament, annulling in special Terms the said Convention, 1643. was unnecessary. 1741 T. Robinson Common Law of Kent i. vi. 130 If the special Heirs should be vouched only, they should not deraign the Warranty over, which should be mischievous that they should lose the Benefit of the Warranty. 1759 Tryal J. Stevenson 17 I was a special Bailiff, for that time, appointed by the Sheriff. 1759 W. Blackstone Great Charter & Charter of Forest Introd. p. liv A special bastard, that is, one born before marriage of parents who intermarry afterwards, is for very good reasons not admitted to inherit lands by the laws of England. 1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. III. iv. 38 Over all presided one special magistrate, called the chief justiciar or capitalis justiciarius totius Angliæ. 1788 E. Pendleton Let. 18 June in Lett. & Papers (1967) II. 540 Appeals from the common-law courts involve the consideration of facts by the superior court, when there is a special verdict. 1806 Monthly Anthology Dec. 632/1 None of them [sc. the churches] have, until very lately, been incorporated into distinct religious communities by special acts of the government. 1828 E. Batty Rep. Cases King's Bench Ireland 705 The first count treats him as heir as well as special occupant. 1858 H. J. Stephen New Comm. Laws Eng. (ed. 4) III. 143 The company..passes a special resolution..founded on the votes of three-fourths of the shareholders assembled. 1884 Times 5 Dec. 3/4 It was found in the special verdict that probably the men would not have survived unless they had killed and eaten the boy. 1936 Panel Mar. 3/3 Several thousand additional witnesses have been examined in the office of Mr. Dewey, the Special Prosecutor. 1979 Internat. Jrnl. Sociol. of Law 7 279 The function of the Special Magistrate was ‘to represent in his own person the whole policy of Britain’. 2012 Times of India (Nexis) 22 Nov. He was hanged at 7.30 am in the presence of a special magistrate. 8. a. Of a person (esp. a child): having particular requirements resulting from physical disability, learning or behavioural difficulties, etc. (esp. in educational contexts). Cf. special needs n. and adj. ΚΠ 1874 Cornhill Mag. Sept. 290 We must feel that for these special children, much as we have done already, we have not yet done enough. 1936 M. L. Anderson in S. Glueck & E. Glueck Preventing Crime x. 183 The policies and principles under which the Binet Schools and classes function [include]:..Examination of children before assignment for physical, mental, and pedagogical handicaps... Activities and subjects suitable to special children. 1969 B. Furneaux Special Child ii. 21 (heading) Special children and their families. 1976 Design for Special Needs Sept. 8/1 The same problem, of housing for ‘special’ people, was the subject of MIND's conference. 2001 M. Blake 24 Karat Schmooze xvi. 175 He..spoke to them as if they were special children. b. Education. Designed or provided for children who have special educational needs which prevent them from receiving (wholly) mainstream schooling; esp. in special education, special school. ΚΠ 1885 A. G. Bell Let. 18 Feb. in J. C. Gordon Educ. Deaf Children (1892) 70/2 Some of the brightest children can be withdrawn from the special school-room for short periods of time. 1921 Handicapped Children (Connecticut Board Educ.) 6 Let us consider those children who are in need of special education because of some degree of mental abnormality. 1968 Trans-action Oct. 7/2 The prematures were more likely to be below their proper grade in school. Among white children..19·4 percent of the preemies were..in special classes. 2001 K. Fearon & A. Verlaque Lurgan Champagne & Other Tales 84 I was at a special school and had been getting good grades. 9. Mathematics. Designating a group (group n. 7) of matrices each of which has a determinant equal to 1. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > mathematical number or quantity > numerical arrangement > [adjective] > of sets > in abstract algebra > of groups reducible1585 transitive1861 primitive1888 simple1888 special1888 cyclic1889 intransitive1889 solvable1892 finite1893 perfect1898 Abelian1900 soluble1902 proper1906 trivial1915 equivalent1948 hypercyclic1968 sporadic1968 1888 Amer. Jrnl. Math. 10 345 This is the special linear group. 1940 Math. Gaz. 24 216 The general linear group GL(n), with its sub-group the special linear group SL(n)..are the classical groups which underlie the ‘classical’ theory of algebraic forms. 1971 D. Gorenstein in M. B. Powell & G. Higman Finite Simple Groups ii. 68 The latter group is the projective special unitary group. 2007 A. D. Polyanin & A. V. Manzhirov Math. for Engineers & Scientists v. 229 The set of proper orthogonal transformations forms a group called the special orthogonal group of dimension n. B. adv. In a special manner; especially, particularly. Now rare (chiefly colloquial or regional).Some Middle English instances with final -e may instead show specially adv. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adverb] hurec893 sunderlyeOE highlyOE namelya1200 sunderlepesa1200 sunderlepea1225 specialc1230 specially1340 specially1340 serelya1375 principallyc1390 especially?a1400 rathestc1400 singularlyc1430 selfly1503 singular1530 enspecial1534 inespecially1557 nearly1560 peculiarly1561 inespecial1569 especial1591 speciouslya1616 nominately1641 chief1645 perpendicularly1658 c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 37 (MED) Bide him underuo þe spetiale in his god & þonke him of his inturn. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 230 Oure lhordes lemman special is yloued þet lokeþ maydenhod. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 27972 Speciale þan cals þis sin Wrak o him þat ligges þar-in. c1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Augustine (1910) 35 He comendid gretly his cunnyng and special his deuocion. a1513 H. Bradshaw Lyfe St. Werburge (1521) i. xxii. sig. h.iii It [i.e. an exemption] to confyrme, and roborate specyall With charters and dedes, and seales patent. 1545 T. Raynald tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde iii. sig. T.viii^v Sethe them in white wyne, and therein lap the infante, spetiall yf it be not taken with ouer greate heate. 1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. vi. 278 Great plenty of dates, which..are speciall good. 1613 J. Ussher Let. in R. Parr Life J. Usher (1686) Coll. viii. 17 One thing therein I think special worthy of observation. 1670 J. Smith England's Improvem. Reviv'd 65 The Chesnut is special good Timber for Building. 1760 G. A. Stevens Hist. Tom Fool II. xix. 165 He's a special good Customer, and a Power of the right Sort come after him. 1765 W. Cowper Let. 5 Nov. (1979) I. 123 They [sc. the Unwins] live in a special good House. 1851 A. Helps Compan. Solitude vii. 143 A case came on rather unexpectedly..and I was sent for ‘special’ as we say. 1856 2nd Rep. Postmaster Gen. 12 in Parl. Papers XXXVII. 65 That the Night Mail train should be run special (without passengers). 1859 W. M. Thackeray Virginians ix The Duke of Marlborough was no special good penman. 1921 J. B. Hendryx Connie Morgan in Fur Country xiv. 221 Not over in here, it ain't. Special, when it's comin' on to snow. C. n. †1. a. A particularly close or dear friend, associate, or follower. Obsolete (rare after 17th cent.).In quot. 1899 short for ‘special friend’. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > friend > close or intimate friend belamy?c1225 friarc1290 specialc1300 necessaryc1384 familiar?c1400 great frienda1425 gossea1549 particular1577 shopfellow?1577 cockmate1578 privado1584 bosom friend1590 better half1596 ingle1602 inward1607 bully boy1609 bosom-piecea1625 hail-fellow1650 bosom-bird1655 intimate1660 crony1665 intimado1682 chum1684 friend of one's bosom1712 right bower1829 inquaintancea1834 cad1836 chummy1849 bond-friend1860 raggie1901 bosom1913 aceboy1951 boon coon1951 mellow1967 squeeze1980 acegirl2009 c1300 St. Dunstan (Harl.) 194 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 39 He let ofsende his freond þat specials to him [a1325 Corpus Cambr. specials him] were. c1400 (?c1375) St. Cecilia (Tiber.) in Yale Stud. in Eng. (1898) 3 93/1 (MED) Ane angell, syr, of heuyn ful bright Es my speciall both day and night. a1500 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi (Trin. Dublin) (1893) 49 Lete ihesu be sool þy derlyng and þy special. 1509 Kynge Rycharde Cuer du Lyon (de Worde) sig. G.iiii Let hym yelde me my tresour euery dele Yf he wyll be my specyele. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 135^v Thus he spake for his spede his specials vnto. 1581 R. Sempill Complaint vpon Fortoun (single sheet) Ane of the speciallis [that] did mentene ȝour Croun, Ȝour ferme protectour in ȝour tender ȝeiris. 1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 84 To require libertie to cum to Scotland with..his garde of a thousand specialis. a1660 H. Hammond Serm. (1664) iii. 42 The Saviour, that hath promises of long life annexed to some specials of his service. 1899 Hamilton Literary Mag. Apr. 363 ‘He was a special friend of mine.’..The Fiend always had an amazing number of ‘specials’. b. A female sweetheart or lover; a mistress, a concubine. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > a lover > [noun] > one who is loved or a sweetheart > specifically a female sweetheart or girlfriend lief971 ladya1393 ladyshipa1393 speciala1400 amiec1400 womanc1400 amoreta1425 mistressc1425 paramoura1450 fair ladya1470 girl?a1513 sooterkin1530 Tib1533 she1547 lady-love1568 jug1569 young lady1584 pigeon1592 love-lass1594 lass1596 dowsabel1612 swainling1615 lucky1629 Dulcinea1638 Lindabrides1640 inamorata1651 baby1684 best girl1691 lady friend1733 young woman1822 moll1823 querida1834 sheila1839 bint1855 tart1864 babykins1870 Dona1874 novia1874 fancy-girl1892 girlfriend1892 cliner1895 tootsy1895 dinah1898 best1904 twist and twirl1905 jane1906 kitten1908 patootie1918 meisie1919 bride1924 gf1925 jelly1931 sort1933 a bit (also piece) of homework1945 beast1946 queen1955 momma1964 mi'jita1970 her indoors1979 girlf1991 society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [noun] > illicit intimacy > person > a mistress chevesea700 wifeOE bed-sister1297 concubine1297 leman1297 file1303 speciala1400 womanc1400 chamberer?a1425 mistress?a1439 cousin1470 doxy?1515 doll1560 pinnacea1568 nobsya1575 lier-by1583 sweetheart1589 she-friend1600 miss1606 underput1607 concupy1609 lig-by1610 factoress1611 leveret1617 night-piece1621 belly-piece1632 dolly1648 lie-bya1656 madamc1660 small girl1671 natural1674 convenient1676 lady of the lake1678 pure1688 tackle1688 sultana1703 kind girl1712 bosom-slave1728 pop1785 chère amie1792 fancy-woman1819 hetaera1820 fancy-piece1821 poplolly1821 secondary wife1847 other woman1855 fancy-girl1892 querida1902 wifelet1983 a1400 Bk. to Mother (Egerton) in T. Wright & J. O. Halliwell Reliquiæ Antiquæ (1845) I. 40 Byhold, my derlyng, speketh to me, arys, come nerre, my special, come. 1473 Visitation Paper in Archaeologia (1885) 48 250 Þe vecar of þe sayde towne has haldyn to hys speciall this vj ȝere & more, and noe correction done. a1500 (?1388) in T. Wright Polit. Poems & Songs (1859) I. 276 Here specialis yf y kys [Harl. 536 Ther special whan thei kis]. c1557 Enterlude of Youth (new ed.) sig. Ci^v A backe galantes and loke vnto me And take me for your speciall. c. A male sweetheart or lover. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > love > a lover > [noun] > male lover servantc1405 specialc1425 servitorc1450 love-lad1586 young man1589 inamorato1592 swainc1592 gentleman friend1667 enamorado1677 spark1707 beau?1720 Johnny1726 man friend1736 feller1842 novio1843 soupirant1849 fella1874 man1874 fellow1878 square-pusher1890 stud1895 papa1896 lover mana1905 boyfriend1906 daddy1912 lover-boy1925 sheikh1925 sweetback1929 sweet man1942 older man1951 boyf1990 c1425 (c1400) Laud Troy-bk. l. 13552 To vysite him ful offte sche went; For sche wiste he toke the falle Off Troyle that was hir specialle. ?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1876) VI. 333 After that sche electe into pope..was gete with childe by her specialle. 1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xx. 67 She..altogydre was of her determyned, to make of Blanchardyn her louer and her specyall. ?1506 Lytell Geste Robyn Hode (de Worde) sig. E.viii^v For the loue of a knyght Syr Roger of donkesly That was her owne speciall. †2. a. A particular thing or article. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or restricted in application > [noun] > quality of being particular or not general > that which is > a particular thing or item specialc1390 peculiar1610 c1390 (?c1343) R. Rolle Ego Dormio (Vernon) in C. Horstmann Yorkshire Writers (1895) I. 59 (MED) Alle þat louen vanytes and specials of þis world..mowe þei not comen..in to þat oþur degre of loue. c1400 in J. P. Genet Four Eng. Polit. Tracts (1977) 11 Amonge oþer þinges þat distroyen rewmys, þis is a special þat anticriste haþ brouȝt. 1615 in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 168 Those specials which they appropriate to themselves are the sole and main commodities of the Kingdoms now in question. 1616 B. Jonson Every Man out of his Humor (rev. ed.) ii. ii, in Wks. I. 103 To the perfection of complement..are requir'd these three specials [1600 Projects]. 1621 R. Montagu Diatribæ Hist. Tithes 467 You must shew some reason why Decimæ were restrayned vnto some specialls, seeing Primitiæ extended themselues vnto all. b. A particular point, part, detail, concept, or statement. Cf. specific n. 2. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > [noun] > quality of being specific or detailed > a detail or particular circumstances?c1225 parcela1325 partya1393 specialc1405 particular?a1425 partc1425 specialityc1443 specialty1449 especialityc1460 particularity1528 respect1533 severals1606 especial1633 particularment1642 retail1644 instance1649 circumstantiality1854 c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Hengwrt) (2003) §387 Lat vs now descende to the special [c1410 Harl. 7334 purpos special]. c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 512 This comaundement..is not but a special and a parti of this general and hool comaundement. 1581 R. Sempill Complaint vpon Fortoun (single sheet) To pen the speciallis it passis mony a hunder. 1594 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. II. 162 Reason..descendeth from generalles to specialles, and from them to particulars. 1611 W. Sclater Key (1629) 177 Which generall is farther amplified by the specials. 1628 T. Spencer Art of Logick 204 Of the kindes of Distribution, and first of the Generall into the Specialls. †3. A particular person; an individual. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > people > person > [noun] > individual person headOE polla1350 singular1420 specialc1450 individuala1500 particular1576 monad1855 c1450 (a1400) Orologium Sapientiæ in Anglia (1888) 10 385 (MED) Amonge þe whiche one specyal come to þe forseyde persone & asked wepyngly þat he wolde lette hym be þat begger. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 67 Fals goddes..Þat entrid into ymagis..Spekand to specyals þat spede for to aske. †4. A species, kind, or type. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > [noun] kindeOE i-cundeOE mannera1225 jetc1330 colour1340 hair1387 estrete1393 gendera1398 hedea1400 savourc1400 stockc1450 toucha1500 rate1509 barrel1542 suit1548 fashion1562 special1563 stamp1573 family1598 garb1600 espece1602 kidney1602 bran1610 formality1610 editiona1627 make1660 cast1673 tour1702 way1702 specie1711 tenor1729 ilk1790 genre1816 stripe1853 persuasion1855 1563 T. Wilson Rule of Reason (new ed.) sig. Pij Beauuis with Alexander are comprehended vnder manne, as their kinde and speciall. 1628 T. Spencer Art of Logick 131 The lowest species, is that which cannot be divided into other specialls. 1654 Z. Coke Art of Logick 32 Quality hath four kinds or specials. 5. A person appointed or employed for a particular purpose or occasion, as a special constable, special correspondent, etc.; (also) an advocate at a special fee. ΘΚΠ society > authority > office > holder of office > [noun] > specific designation of official Conservator of Truce1641 special1822 society > authority > delegated authority > one having delegated or derived authority > [noun] > person given special commission special1822 1822 Coll. Songs Newcastle Dial. 53 The yeomen and specials in court you kept hid. 1833 W. H. Breton Excursions New S. Wales ii. 51 A Government Establishment formerly existed at Wellington Valley..and it was to this place that all the principal convicts, or those called specials were sent: that is to say, those of good connections. 1882 C. Pebody Eng. Journalism 147 To number among its enterprising band of correspondents the famous special of the Daily News. 1893 Westm. Gaz. 29 Sept. 1/2 A ‘special’ is an advocate who is not attached to any particular Court, but who will accept any brief with a special fee of 50 guineas marked upon it. 1939 War Illustr. 9 Dec. 393/3 Accompanied by German police, bands of Sudeten ‘specials’ raided the University and the Czech societies, and many persons were taken to the Gestapo headquarters. 1955 Times 20 July 4/3 There were only two police constables on St. Mary's, reinforced for the occasion by four ‘specials’. 1990 Poice Rev. (Nexis) 28 Sept. 1897/3 Specials are there to provide a support for the regular police. 6. Something which is additional to the usual or ordinary; usually short for ‘special ——’. a. A train provided in addition to the normal timetable. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [noun] > a special thing special1851 speciality1864 speshul1979 1851 J. F. Ronalds in Railways: Copy of Rep. Accident Ponders' End Station 16 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 93–III) XXX. 493 I never saw the special till it ran into the truck; it was going 15 or 20 miles an hour. 1871 ‘M. Legrand’ Cambr. Freshman 298 When the ‘special’ containing the excursion party..entered the station. 1998 N. Whittaker Sweet Talk (1999) 136 After the result was relayed by telephone, the rock was niftily made and was ready for sale at Wellingborough station as the football special full of ecstatic fans steamed to a halt. b. A special edition of a newspaper, periodical, etc.; (also) a special article. ΘΚΠ society > communication > journalism > journal > newspaper > [noun] > other types of newspaper gazette1607 contemporary1670 packet1678 exchange1798 funny paper1837 blanket sheet1839 broadsheet1840 special1861 cocoa press1907 bladder1936 regional1958 electronic paper1967 free1982 society > communication > journalism > journal > matter of or for journals > [noun] > article > other types of article lost1762 human interest1779 sub-article1815 sub-leader1839 turn-over1842 feuilleton1845 special1861 spesh1887 causerie1903 personality profile1922 think-piece1935 situationer1937 turnover article1952 opinion piece1957 tick-tock1972 listicle2007 1861 Amer. Agriculturist Dec. 365/3 When the fresh daily paper comes in, the latest telegraphic dispatches must be read, of course; then the older ‘specials’; then the editorials; then the comments of cotemporary papers; then the opinions of foreign journals. 1899 J. F. Fraser Round World on Wheel xiv. 162 I described..the London evening papers..the ‘specials’, ‘extra specials’, and ‘second extra specials’. 1933 E. Waugh Scoop ii. iv. 212 Make up the Irish edition with his morning cable... If the follow-up comes in..run a special. 1952 Hist. Times IV. i. ix. 415 The leading articles and ‘specials’ exposing the exaggerations of the ‘yellow peril’ school published during the year. 2010 G. Prakash Mumbai Fables v. 160 In 2002 the Hindustan Times Tabloid ran a special on the case, reminding its readers of the compelling cast of characters. c. A special prize. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > token of victory or supreme excellence > [noun] > prize > other specific prize glaivec1380 cupc1640 pewter1814 banner1840 presentation cup1844 blue ribbon1860 ribbon1860 shield1868 special1872 wager-cup1878 presentation bowl1896 rose bowl1970 quaich1971 1872 Poultry Bull. Sept. 112/2 About seventy-five prizes are offered, including three specials, of $5, $15, and $20. 1897 Daily News 16 June 9/1 It is laid down that the same dog cannot win more than one of these specials. 1918 W. A. Dyer Dogs of Boytown x. 158 Every exhibitor hopes to win one of the specials, but most of the dogs are trying for their championship titles. 2010 R. Mullin Sales Promotion (ed. 5) 222 Your holiday does tend to get lost among the many other holiday prizes simultaneously available, hence the appearance of ‘specials’, such as Golden Wonder's offer of ‘your own tropical island’. d. A special offer in a shop, etc.; an article for sale on special offer. ΚΠ 1887 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 11 Nov. 5/5 (advt.) Each day we offer some useful bargain that will repay anyone who visits our model grocery. Friday and Saturday specials. New home-made mince 10c per pound [etc.]. 1911 System Oct. 426/2 ‘Specials for Today’ is the heading of a small blackboard in the window of a downtown grocery. 1966 T. Pynchon Crying of Lot 49 i. 14 Pink flyers advertising specials at the markets. 1980 Redbook Oct. 46/1 Before you go to the supermarket, check your newspaper for sales. Watch for patterns: ‘specials’ usually occur toward the beginning of the month, when supplies are highest. 2013 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 13 June I have a budget of about $30 a week for groceries and it is definitely hard to shop sometimes. I look out for specials. e. A special examination. ΘΚΠ society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] examination1421 examen1612 probation1645 trial1672 exam1837 mug1853 special1890 mid-year1895 periodical1897 test1910 assessment1956 1890 Lancet 11 Oct. 796/1 What are known as ‘specials’ are being held this week. These are for men who partially failed at the last regular examinations. 1997 O. H. Prufer in W. S. Dancey & P. J. Pacheco Ohio Hopewell Community Organization i. iv. 109 I successfully passed the dreaded general examinations, and in October the special examinations. To add to these crowded months, I was divorced and remarried between taking my generals and specials. f. A special dish; (in a restaurant, etc.) a dish of the day. ΚΠ 1911 Scribner's Mag. Apr. 508/1 It is so long ago that only a few oldsters will identify the hostelry from the statement that ‘broiled chickens and waffles’ were its ‘specials’. 1939 J. B. Priestley Let People Sing ii. 44 What about ordering the Ninepenny Special—steak-and-kidney pudding and peas? 1958 Punch 1 Jan. 60/3 Accepting one of his hostess's ‘specials’ at one of her now-famous ‘get-together’ parties. 1994 J. Galloway Foreign Parts viii. 117 Rona came back with coffees and two paper plates. Pizza. Today's Special, she said. 2014 F. Rivers Bridge to Haven vii. 146 I'll order whatever special Oliver is cooking up for tonight. g. A television programme forming an addition to a regular series.Recorded earliest in TV special n. at TV n.¹ Compounds 4. ΘΚΠ society > communication > broadcasting > television > [noun] > type of programme dramedy1905 news film1912 sex comedy1915 television adaptation1935 action comedy1936 sportcast1939 teleshopper1949 telethon1949 special1952 television special1952 TV special1952 science-fictioner1953 spectacular1954 promo1955 sitcom1956 spec1959 spin-off1959 reality programming1962 teleroman1964 mockumentary1965 serialization1965 talk show1965 laugh-in1967 novela1968 reality show1968 breakfast television1971 spy series1975 reality television1978 reality TV1980 series1988 shockumentary1988 1952 Billboard 5 Jan. 3/4 (heading) Bill Stern signed up for 13 TV specials. 1955 Billboard 23 July 2/3 Another piece of talent that CBS-TV has lined up is Victor Borge, who will be paid $100,000 for each of two 60-minute specials. 1979 Tucson (Arizona) Citizen 20 Sept. 7 b/6 NBC made a deal with the studio to make a few two-hour ‘Buck Rogers’ movies, to be shown occasionally as specials. 2006 D. Steel House iv. 49 They both stared mindlessly at the TV. They were watching a special on diseases in Africa, which didn't really interest either of them. Phrases P1. in special adv. [Compare post-classical Latin in speciali in particular (from 13th cent. in British sources), Anglo-Norman en especiale, Anglo-Norman and Middle French en especial in particular, individually, in detail (all second half of the 14th cent. or earlier).] a. Specially, especially, particularly. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > especially or particularly [phrase] hure and hurea1175 in special1389 in especialc1390 in speciallyc1450 with (also by, in, of) specialtyc1450 in particular1502 in speciality1543 in peculiar1607 of (also with) a specialty1686 1389 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 52 (MED) Ordeynd it was..on þe same day in special to haue a messe of requiem. a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1881) i. l. 894 Se þat þow yn special Requere not þat is a-yen hire name. c1470 J. Hardyng Chron. c. ii The Kynges inspeciall Vnder his rule. 1483 ( tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage of Soul (Caxton) iv. xxxiii. f. lxxxi^v The fourth counceylour ben other that haue for to sene in special to gouernaunce of his propre goodes. a1500 (?a1450) Gesta Romanorum (Harl. 7333) (1879) 211 The Emperour made a generall feste, to the whiche þe Erle was I-bede in speciall. a1513 H. Bradshaw Lyfe St. Werburge (1521) i. xxxii. sig. l.^v Prepared by the kyng, and ordeyned inspeciall. 1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia sig. Bvi Chyefelye suche thynges as shalbe profytable to be knowne, as in specyall be thoese decrees and ordinaunces. 1603 T. Bodley in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 44 We have a speech given out, among Papists in special, of a match..between our Prince and the King of Spain's..daughter. 1680 W. Allen Perswasive to Peace & Unity (ed. 2) 134 He singles out this in special as the matter of his request. b. In an individual, separate, or distinctive manner. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > individual [phrase] in speciala1393 a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 1501 Bot such a thing in special, Which to hem alle in general Is most plesant. c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 159 But by hir Cote armures and by hir geere The heraudes knewe hem best in special. 1469–70 in Hist. MSS Comm.: 10th Rep.: App. Pt. V: MSS Marquis of Ormonde &c. (1885) 307 in Parl. Papers (C. 4576-I) XLII. 1 If ony suete or chalange be..so done in commene or in speciall. ?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in Poems (1998) I. 54 To euery man in speciall speke I sum wordis. a1586 in W. A. Craigie Maitland Folio MS (1919) I. 238 And thocht I say in generale Sum sall it tak in speciale. c. In detail; so as to enter into particulars. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > specifically [phrase] > in detail from point to pointa1393 in speciala1398 specialityc1485 in particularity1559 in piecemeal1561 in (the) detail1603 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. 59 Of þe propirtees of aungels, we schal bigynne to speke of hem fir[st] in general and þanne in special. c1415 (c1390) G. Chaucer Melibeus (Corpus Oxf.) (1872) §2424 Ȝe han wel taught me as in generalle how I schal gouerne me... But now wolde I fayn þat ȝe wolde condescende in special [c1405 Hengwrt especial]. a1450 ( in J. Kail 26 Polit. Poems (1904) 11 I speke not in specyale Of oo kyngdom the lawe to telle; I speke hool in generale. 1573 J. Davidson Breif Commendatioun Vprichtnes xl. 106 That this may be maid mair manifest, I will discurs sum thing in speciall Tuiching this Lamp. P2. Originally and chiefly U.S. on special: (of an item for sale) available at a reduced price as a promotion. Cf. on offer at offer n.¹ 1d. ΚΠ 1909 Evening Times (Cumberland, Maryland) 23 Sept. 3 Boys' patent leather caps.., on special during this hour at 15c. 1955 Wall St. Jrnl. 10 Feb. 1/4 Safeway Stores..have the most items on special. 1990 Sun Herald (Sydney) (Nexis) 21 Oct. (Late ed.) 129 Paton's No. 17 lawn food, 25kg bags, usually cost $21.95 but are on special today for $17.95. 2004 C. Lee Aloft ix. 233 A hormone-free leg of lamb he'll..serve with..German white asparagus he found on special. Compounds C1. With nouns, forming adjectives used attributively, as special agreement, special-procedure, special-purpose, special-range, special-service, special-temper, etc. ΚΠ 1859 Rep. Directors Convict Prisons 1858 226 in Parl. Papers XIII. i. 191 It is..a question well worthy of consideration, whether this class of prisoners, generally termed ‘special service men’, may not be considerably increased. 1897 Outing 30 279/1 A special-temper tool steel. 1901 Daily Tel. 9 Mar. 9/3 Two British special service officers have left London for the Abyssinian capital. 1936 R. S. Glasgow Princ. Radio Engin. vi. 116 Shortly after the advent of the screen-grid tube other special-purpose, multielectrode tubes began to appear in increasing numbers. 1944 Act 7 & 8 Geo. VI c. 31 §236 If at any time the managers or governors of an aided school or a special agreement school are unable or unwilling to carry out their obligations..it shall be their duty to apply to the Minister for an order revoking the order by virtue of which the school is an aided school or special agreement school. 1956 L. A. Abraham & S. C. Hawtrey Parl. Dict. 188 Special procedure order, a term applied by the standing orders of both Houses to an order, made or confirmed by a minister, in relation to which the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Act, 1945, applies. 1961 Act 9 & 10 Eliz. II c. 62 2nd Schedule §2 Where a trust fund includes special-range property,..the special-range property shall be carried to a separate part of the fund. 2010 H. V. Eastlick Nevada Real Estate Princ. & Pract. xxiv. 392 The appraiser will generally rely most on the cost approach when valuing special-purpose buildings. C2. special adviser n. (also special advisor) an adviser appointed to provide advice on particular topics to government ministers, officials, etc., esp. in a field in which they have expertise. ΚΠ 1834 Circular to Bankers 25 July 1/1 The measure has been introduced..by a speech from..his Majesty's special adviser. 1893 Atlanta Constit. 28 Aug. 4/3 The speech from beginning to end bristles with sharp criticisms of the president and his special advisers. 1918 Plumbers, Gas & Steam Fitters Jrnl. June 22/1 Honorable Secretary of War Newton D. Baker has appointed President Alpine as Special Advisor to the War Department's Representative on the Labor Policies Board. 1935 C. L. King Public Finance xxii. 426 Ten different committees, including [President Franklin D. Roosevelt's] special advisor..were put to work forming special treaties. 1974 Economist 6 July 29/3 The Commons would be wise to consider the dangers as well as the advantages of the proliferation of special advisers. 1997 S. James Brit. Govt. iii. 102 Books and articles by..special advisers (particularly in the Bennite wing of the party) warned me of what to expect. 2011 Texas Banking (Electronic ed.) May 5 Ms. Warren is the..special adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury on the [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]. special agent n. a person who conducts investigations on behalf of the government; (now) spec. (U.S.) a person who conducts criminal investigations and has arrest authority, esp. as a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ΘΚΠ society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > political police > [noun] > secret service or police > member of secret police special agent1893 federal1921 1893 H. W. Wiley Nostrums Increasing Yield Butter (U.S. Dept. Agric. Farmers' Bull. No. 12) 6 The numerous replies to this circular..have been referred to Mr. A. J. Wedderburn, special agent of the Department for the investigation of the general aspects of food adulteration. 1935 M. R. Werner Privileged Characters iv. 231 Gaston B. Means, special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation,..was directed by Jess Smith to investigate Senator Caraway. 1992 Spy (N.Y.) Oct. 60/1 Potterton..asked that a special agent of the FBI's antiterrorist unit in New York become involved. 2002 El Paso (Texas) Times (Nexis) 2 Feb. 1 b The IRS is hiring 300 special agents a year over the next few years to offset the number of investigators who will soon be able to retire. Special Air Service n. (esp. in the British Army) a military unit specially trained in commando techniques and often deployed by air; frequently attributive; abbreviated S.A.S. n. at S n.¹ Initialisms 1. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > branch of army > [noun] > S.A.S. Special Air Service1942 S.A.S.1945 1942 We speak from Air xvii. 53 There is no better example of co-operation between the services than in the organisation and training of the Special Air Service troops that has been quietly taking place for some time. 1977 Proc. Royal Soc. Med. 70 504/1 Major I. T. Houghton discussed first aid in the Special Air Service Regiment. This was formed in 1941 by David Stirling for operations behind the enemy lines in North Africa. 1980 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Arts July 491/1 The Special Air Service..is trained for special tasks and it therefore represents the ready-made anti-hijacking force. 2013 Guardian (Nexis) 2 Apr. 1 Many of the detainees were brought to the facility by snatch squads formed from Special Air Service and Special Boat Service squadrons. Special Area n. British History a district designated for development and improvement, for which special economic provision is made in legislation (parliamentary Acts of 1934 and 1937: see quots.); also in plural and frequently attributive; cf. development area n. at development n. Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > a land or country > part of country or district > [noun] > depressed area depressed area1928 Special Area1934 1934 Act 25 George V c. 1 §8 (1) This Act may be cited as the Special Areas (Development and Improvement) Act, 1934. 1945 Archit. Rev. 97 109/1 The former Special Areas, now renamed (with adjustments) the Development Areas, are not necessarily economic and social entities. 1979 G. Pottinger Secretaries of State for Scotl. 1926–76 xiv. 148 The modest incentives dating originally from the Special Areas Acts of 1934 and 1937, and modified by post-war legislation, to persuade firms to move to depressed districts were no longer considered adequate. 2004 Trans. Inst. Brit. Geographers 29 50/2 Land settlement became regarded as a palliative like other workfare schemes developed by the Special Areas Commission. Special Branch n. (esp. in the United Kingdom and Ireland) a police unit which deals with matters relating to national and political security. ΘΚΠ society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > political police > [noun] > secret service or police > British Special Branch1883 security service1918 MI5?1921 MI6?1921 firm1952 the Circus1963 S.B.1964 six1969 1883 Standard 1 Oct. 3/3 The other District Inspector will be at the head of the secret branch, and will be designated as ‘District Inspector—Crime, Special Branch’. 1894 J. G. Littlechild Reminisc. i. 8 The later years of my service at Scotland Yard were spent in connection with the ‘special’ branch of the Criminal Investigation Department. 1936 ‘N. Blake’ Thou Shell of Death ix. 159 Scotland Yard had got into touch with the Special Branch in Dublin. 1962 Listener 15 Mar. 459/2 Warrants of this kind would be normally executed by special branch officers acting under the directions of the Director of Public Prosecutions. 1982 Listener 16 Dec. 4/1 It is held by those in Special Branch that contact with Security Service is already so close that SB ought to take over primary responsibility for counter-espionage. 2003 P. Lovesey House Sitter (2004) xiii. 189 Special Branch have a number of addresses in London where they protect VIPs under threat of terrorism, or informers changing their identities. special buyer n. now historical the bill broker of the Bank of England in the discount market. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > financial dealings > types of money-dealing > [noun] > use of bills of exchange > one dealing in bills of exchange > specific special buyer1941 1930 Financial Times 10 July 6/6 From the activities of the special buyer of bills over the past two days, it is unlikely that the discount market will allow rates to become further detached from the official minimum.] 1941 Economist 1 Feb. 149/1 The help given to the market last week by the special buyer has made itself more felt. 1965 A. Seldon & F. G. Pennance Everyman's Dict. Econ. 311 In Britain open market operations in Treasury Bills are conducted through a firm of discount brokers (the ‘Special Buyer’) on instructions from the Bank of England. 2010 F. Capie Bank of Eng.: 1950s to 1979 iii. 102 New bills were sold through the weekly Treasury bill tender, whereas other transactions were undertaken by the ‘Special Buyer’. special care baby unit n. British a hospital ward providing newborn infants with specialized or intensive care, esp. due to illness or premature delivery or birth. ΚΠ 1956 Manch. Guardian 8 Aug. 8/4 There are 73 obstetric beds, 31 gynaecology beds and a special care baby unit of 7 beds. 1991 Lancet 2 Mar. 553/1 Management in the special-care baby unit..consists of keeping the baby warm, in incubator or cot depending on size and state of maturity. 2014 Canterbury Times (Nexis) 10 Apr. 5 A..mother has told of the terrifying moment her newborn child was taken away from her and rushed into a special care baby unit, suffering with breathing difficulties. special care unit n. a ward in a hospital or nursing home providing patients with specialized or intensive care. ΚΠ 1956 Boston Daily Globe 21 May 18 (advt.) Special care unit. 1998 R. A. Kane et al. Heart Long-term Care vi. 171 Many nursing homes have responded by developing special care units..for people with Alzheimer's disease. 2003 Birmingham Evening Mail (Nexis) 30 Jan. 39 The creation of a..special care unit specifically for people with disabilities means our facilities are far more sensitive to the needs of these patients. special case n. Law a written statement of the facts of a case which is submitted by the parties involved to a court for a decision on a point of law. ΚΠ 1773 E. Bott Coll. Decisions Court King's Bench (ed. 2) 305 A special case was stated for the opinion of the court. 1848 J. J. S. Wharton Law Lexicon 133/1 Consultary response, the opinion of a court of law on a special case. 1933 Official Gaz. Kenya 3 Apr. 529 The special case..shall be transmitted to the Supreme Court for the purposes of determination. 2000 A. J. Pirie Alternative Dispute Resol. viii. 337 More rules allow the parties to state a special case to a judge involving a question of law or fact and to set down a point of law for hearing. special character n. a character which is not a letter of the alphabet or a numeral; a character not found on a standard keyboard; (Computing) a character which has a particular syntactic meaning. ΚΠ 1855 Ballou's Dollar Monthly Mag. July 96/1 It [sc. the national printing-office at Paris] affords the printers of Paris and the departments special characters they do not possess. 1917 Amer. Printer 5 Apr. 40/2 Immediately after an operator has used a special character it must be returned to its case. 1999 A. R. Bellinger & P. Grierson Catal. Byzantine Coins Dumbarton Oaks Coll. V. Pref. p. xii I must also express my particular thanks to two members of the editorial staff..for their skill in designing the many special characters required in the volume. 2004 Times 24 Nov. (Crème section) 3/6 There are a number of ways to insert special characters in many programs. special collection n. (also with capitial initials) a collection of materials, especially valuable books or manuscripts, which is kept separate from other materials in a library and usually has stricter access rights; (also in plural) the department of a library that maintains such a collection. ΚΠ 1858 Hist. Mag July 196/1 From the catalogues of special collections..we may ultimately realize the achievement of a bibliographical guide. 1918 Special Libraries May 111/1 Correspondence files..frequently represent a valuable part of the special collection. 1975 Times Lit. Suppl. 21 Feb. 194/4 The purpose of the Library Chronicle..is to be a showcase for the material available to scholars in its special collections. 2003 J. Dobson Maltese Manuscript ix. 73 Bob Tooey, the little potato-faced researcher from Special Collections, was all dressed up now in a baggy blue suit. special committee n. a committee set up to investigate a specific matter, usually having a limited number of members and established for a limited time period. ΘΚΠ society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > deliberative, legislative, or administrative assembly > types of body or spec. bodies > [noun] > committee > other types of committee committee1571 council of war1590 special committee1606 standing committeea1632 Committee of Safety1642 working party1744 finance committee1783 Board (also Court) of county commissioners1806 business committee1825 national committee1826 watch committee1835 working group1888 Central Committee1917 action committee1918 action group1927 ombuds-committee1964 PESC1969 1606 A. Maxey Churches Sleepe sig. C.3^v Such hath beene his Maiesties Princely zeale that hee hath referred the care thereof to speciall Committies, that with all couenient speede, Wales, Ireland and the Northren borders, might be supplyed and planted with learned and religious Teachers. 1641 W. Hakewill Manner how Statutes Enacted in Parl. 7 Towards the end of the Parliament, when there remaineth many Bills in the house undispatched, there hath beene a speciall Committee appointed to take a survey of them. 1702 F. Atterbury Case Schedule Stated 95 He could not Name even a Special Committee of Select Persons in the Lower House, without the Consent and Approbation of the House it self. 1827 H. Hallam Constit. Hist. Eng. II. xv. 491 In June 1689, a special committee was appointed to inquire into the miscarriages of the war in Ireland. 1929 Times 31 Oct. 14/4 In order to safeguard the home consumer against exploitation by the producers' ‘rings’, which the coal-marketing schemes will establish, the Government will set up in every district a special committee to keep a watch on prices. 2005 Daily Tel. 19 Jan. 29/4 Some of the restatements follow an investigation by a special committee into the management of the company. Special Constable n. (in the United Kingdom) a volunteer who is appointed to act as a police officer on particular occasions, especially in times of emergency. ΘΚΠ society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > policeman > other types of policeman star1714 Special Constable1733 police runner1782 snoozy1823 New Policeman1830 redbreast1862 roundsman1868 state trooper1883 harness cop1891 black and tans1920 B Special1922 tans1932 1733 Let. Freeman City of Chester 18 There was a Necessity for the Number of Special Constables that were appointed. 1795 J. Farington Diary 16 Nov. (1978) II. 403 Nicol..had undertaken with many other respectable inhabitants to act as special constables to prevent riots. 1806 A. Duncan Nelson's Funeral 26 Special, petty, and other constables..were on duty. 1831 Act 1 & 2 Wm. III c. 41 An Act for amending the Laws relative to the Appointment of Special Constables, and for the better Preservation of the Peace. 1932 W. H. Auden Orators i. 36 Jokes about special constables and conscientious objectors. 1970 Britain 1970: Official Handbk. (Central Office of Information) 105 All police forces have an attachment of special constables, who are volunteers willing to perform police duties without pay in their spare time. In England and Wales the function of special constables is to act as auxiliary to the regular force when required. In Scotland they are employed only in emergencies, although they may be assigned for duty for training purposes. 2002 Mirror 18 Mar. 5/5 We are..asking more employers to encourage staff to become Special Constables. special correspondent n. a journalist who writes for a newspaper on special events or a special area of interest; (hence) special-correspondently adv.special-correspondently is apparently an isolated use by Kipling. ΚΠ 1821 St. James's Chron. 16 Aug. We have extracted from the Irish papers and the communications of our own special correspondent, a number of interesting particulars connected with his Majesty's visit. 1856 Men of the Time 687 He was deputed to be the special correspondent of the ‘Times’ in the Crimea. 1891 R. Kipling Life's Handicap 86 It suited him to talk special-correspondently. 1929 D. Hammett Red Harvest xxiii. 235 A big-city paper or two are sending in special correspondents. 1976 Economist 29 May 11/1 Our special correspondent describes..Indians' strange passive unresistance. 2008 Vanity Fair May 74/3 This month Vanity Fair special correspondent Matt Tyrnauer explores the daring vision of two architects. special damages n. Law damages which compensate a plaintiff for a loss (such as medical expenses or repair costs) which may be easily quantified in monetary terms; (in later use also) damages awarded for breach of contract, where the loss is foreseeable by the defendant despite being caused by unusual circumstances beyond the scope of the contract; contrasted with general damages n. at general adj. and n. Compounds 2. ΚΠ 1767 H. Bathurst Introd. Law Nisi Prius iii. i. 81 If the Lord leave sufficient Estovers, yet he shall recover special Damages. 1786 Speeches of Judges Case Capt. E. Sutton (new ed.) 22 The Assignment of the special Damages is ill laid. The Court states, that the Plaintiff lost a large Sum of Money, which he would have gained if he had not been suspended. 1834 D. Graham Ess. on New Trials i. 17 The damages were £250. No special damages being laid..the court thought the damages excessive. 1890 Huddersfield Daily Chron. 11 Feb. 3/6 The plaintiff claims £10,000 general damages, besides £1,150 special damages. 1942 Michigan Law Rev. 41 185 Special damages growing out of a breach of such a duty could not be recovered because they were not within the reasonable contemplation of the parties in making the contract. 2012 New Straits Times (Malaysia) (Nexis) 20 Oct. 20 Nirmala, 28, is seeking special damages for medical expenses. special delivery n. delivery of a letter or package within a guaranteed period, or outside normal hours, on payment of an additional fee; an item of mail, etc., delivered under these terms. ΘΚΠ society > communication > correspondence > postal services > [noun] > types of service printed paper1553 letter post1660 penny post1680 general post1687 parcel post1790 penny postage1798 twopenny post1811 twopenny1818 printed matter1836 parcel delivery1837 bangy1842 book post1848 special delivery1865 V.P.P.1888 express delivery1891 rural free delivery1891 certified mail1955 recorded delivery1960 Mailgram1969 freepost1970 1865 R. Bond Bk. Information Railway Travellers 189 In London cab fares are invariably charged in cases of special delivery. 1886 I. M. Rittenhouse Jrnl. 3 Feb. in Maud (1939) xi. 368 Eliza brought me a special delivery letter from my good boy. 1904 Harper's Mag. Feb. 462/2 And what a lucky chance that brought me a ‘special delivery’. 1932 E. Ferber Glamour in They brought their Women (1933) 14 Miss Fayne..saw a particularly lurid one marked air mail, special delivery, urgent, postmarked Cincinnati. 1977 ‘E. Crispin’ Glimpses of Moon xii. 256 A letter marked in one place ‘Special Delivery’, and in another, ‘Recorded Delivery’. 2012 Your Chickens Apr. 35/2 Do not be tempted to go for a cheaper 1st class option; always use Special Delivery. special deposit n. a deposit made in a bank subject to certain conditions; spec. a deposit mandated by the Bank of England from a commercial bank as a means of controlling its lending (now historical). ΚΠ 1805 R. W. Bridgman Analyt. Digested Index Reported Cases I. 77/2 Lord Chancellor held this to be a special deposit, and directed a calculation to be made of the value of the entire thing at the time of the deposit. 1859 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 2) 432 Special deposit, a deposit made in a bank subject to the control of the depositor, and which is not made a part of the funds of the bank to be used by it in its business. 1958 Times 4 July 15/1 The new scheme of ‘special deposits’ to be introduced by the Bank of England will in effect be kept in reserve in case of need. 1978 London Clearing Banks (Committee London Clearing Bankers) 68 From 1958 onwards the Bank was able to supplement its open-market operations with calls for special deposits from the clearing banks; when a call was made, each bank had to lodge at the Bank of England a cash deposit of a specified percentage of its total deposits. 2009 Times (Nexis) 13 July (Business section) 35 In the past, cash and deposit requirements and even supplementary special deposits (also known as ‘corsets’) were major tolls for managing bank liquidity. special dividend n. an occasional or extra dividend paid to the proprietors or shareholders of a company. ΚΠ 1834 Morning News (London) 5 July 1/7 A special dividend will be paid at the same time. 1936 Wall St. Jrnl. 20 Oct. 9/1 Burroughs Adding Machine Co. yesterday declared a special dividend of 60 cents in addition to a dividend of 15 cents. 2012 R. Hobson Dividend Investor i. 14 A special dividend does imply that the company is on a sound financial footing. Special Drawing Right n. an additional drawing right allocated to member countries of the International Monetary Fund, allowing them extra powers to purchase foreign currency from the Fund, and so increase their foreign exchange reserves; usually plural; frequently abbreviated S.D.R. n. at S n.¹ Initialisms 1. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > financial dealings > types of money-dealing > [noun] > money-changing > exchange operations flight1923 run1931 Special Drawing Right1963 S.D.R.1967 1963 Financial Times 6 Mar. 15/7 Countries qualifying for the new treatment are, it seems, to be allowed a special drawing right equivalent to 25 per cent. of their quotas. 1971 H. Wilson Labour Govt. xxxv. 726 The IMF Special Drawing Rights scheme..had come into effect on 28 July [1969]. 2009 Guardian (Nexis) 25 Sept. 36 Ethiopia, Malawi and South Africa, have already been allocated special drawing rights to cope with the economic crisis. Special Economic Zone n. (also with lower-case initials) (a) = Exclusive Economic Zone n. at exclusive adj. and n. Additions; (b) a geographical region within a country which is subject to special economic laws which are less restrictive than those governing the rest of the country; abbreviated SEZ. ΚΠ 1973 Summary of World Broadcasts Pt. 3: Far East (B.B.C.) 6 Nov. 2nd Ser. FE4443/A2/3 You can draw at will a zone of control for the purpose of plundering fishery resources, whereas the developing countries are inexcusable lawbreakers when they demand a reasonable special economic zone over the seas near their coasts. 1981 Winnipeg Free Press 1 June 36/1 Hong Kong's long-term future as a prosperous city-state where capitalism thrives under a British administration has become far brighter since the Chinese government established special economic zones along the joint border. 1999 Washington Times (Nexis) 11 Feb. a21 Mischief Reef is an area inside the Philippines' Special Economic Zone and there he photographed three moored Chinese ships. 2007 Independent 14 Mar. (Extra section) 6/3 Outside their home state they have taken a tough line on India's up-and-coming Special Economic Zones (SEZs). special edition n. an edition of a newspaper, magazine, television programme, etc., which differs from the usual format, esp. in concentrating on one particular story; (also) a version of any product which offers features not usually available, and may be available in limited quantities or for a limited time (frequently attributive; cf. limited edition n. and adj.). ΘΚΠ society > communication > journalism > journal > newspaper > [noun] > editions of newspaper special edition1845 library edition1869 extra-special1889 airmail edition1923 bulldog edition1926 final1931 air edition1939 society > occupation and work > industry > manufacture or production > [noun] > manufactured article or product > general types of small ware1815 special edition1845 stamping1862 run of the mill1876 mass product1922 short run1957 1845 N.Y. Herald 6 Nov. We shall issue an Extra Herald at one o'clock, to contain the latest intelligence... This special edition can be had at the desk, in wrappers, at two cents per copy. 1872 B. Jerrold London xx. 177 The news-boy would deliver the special edition. 1882 J. Hatton Journalistic London 148 The whole Morning Standard is printed in one hour and fifty minutes,..and the special edition in forty-five minutes. 1939 L. MacNeice Autumn Jrnl. v. 23 They are selling and buying the late Special editions snatched and read abruptly. 1959 Reno (Nevada) Evening Gaz. 14 Sept. 18/6 (advt.) El-Dorado Cadillac Convertible... Good tires. Sharp clean Special Edition. 1973 Financial Times 25 July 2/3 Royal Television Gala Performance: Special edition of the Harry Secombe Show. 1996 National Trust Thames & Chilterns Newsletter Spring 3/2 The New Covent Garden Soup Company chose wild mushroom for the special edition soup. 2002 Time 1 Apr. 6/1 (heading) Our 9/11 special edition..featured a 28-page picture portfolio. special effect n. chiefly Film and Television an unusual or spectacular illusion or other audio-visual effect; (in later use) esp. a scenic or optical effect created on set using camerawork, stunts, pyrotechnics, props, etc. (as distinct from a computationally-enhanced visual effect created in post-production; see visual effect n. at visual adj. and n. Additions); usually in plural; frequently attributive. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > cinematography > filming > special effect > [noun] effect1838 special effect1907 visual effect1952 optical1953 FX1960 VFX1995 1907 Electr. Rec. June 20/1 Devices are used for producing special effects such as lightning, waterfalls, etc. 1911 D. S. Hulfish Cycl. Motion-picture Work II. 88 Special effects may be attained by tricks as subtle as those of the accomplished magician before his audience. 1937 H. G. Wells Brynhild v. 61 The brightest and best producers, directors, scenarists, cameramen, special effects men, editors. 1951 Jrnl. Soc. Motion Picture & Television Engineers 57 53/1 Studio terminology combines under ‘special effects’ a large variety of items, materials, equipment and processes which..aid in realistically imitating natural phenomena..which otherwise could be considered only at prohibitive expense or with impossible hazards. 1978 R. Hill Pinch of Snuff vii. 65 The special effects department must be getting better. 2012 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 29 Aug. 20 If the words are subordinate to the images or, even worse, to special effects, drowned out by car chases or explosions, then the movie is barren. special election n. U.S. an election held at an unusual or unexpected time, as when an incumbent resigns or dies. ΚΠ 1791 Laws State N.-Y. (1792) II. 362 Such vacancy or vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of the year in which they may happen by a special election for that purpose. 1866 Weekly New Mexican (Santa Fe) 22 Dec. 2/2 One of the senators from San Miguel county having resigned, a special election was held. 1974 State (Columbia, S. Carolina) 15 Feb. 22- a/6 The beleaguered Republican candidate in the February 5 special election to replace the late Rep. John Saylor of Pennsylvania. 2008 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 2 Nov. (Front section) 28/6 After a devastating loss..in an upstate special election, Republicans revamped their campaign committee. special forces n. (also with capital initials) Military armed forces that undertake covert, counterterrorist, or other unconventional operations. ΚΠ 1951 Winnipeg Free Press 9 Mar. 23/6 At least 10,000 of the 66,000 men in uniform have that privilege as members of the so-called Special Forces. 1968 Times 6 Nov. 6/1 The same tough-looking special forces..demonstrated Russia's new interest in mobility and the capacity to deal with brushfire wars. 2007 T. Gryphon Key to Confl. xxvii. 249 The Marines had trained her in anticipation of her working for Special Forces; allowing her to work on a degree in forensic psychology, specializing in counterterrorism. special function n. Mathematics Physics any of various mathematical functions regarded as particularly important, esp. in mathematical physics. ΚΠ 1936 Amer. Math. Monthly 43 38 This book should be useful to students of mathematical physics, as its treatment of the special functions is less sketchy than that in the typical text. 1976 SIAM Rev. 18 240 The most commonly encountered explicit representations for the special functions of mathematical physics are power series and definite or contour integrals. 2003 B. West et al. Physics Fractal Operators v. 182 Most special functions, such as sine, cosine,.., and other functions of theoretical physics can also be expressed as infinite series. special guest n. a (typically well-known) person who is invited to perform or appear at an event or on a television or radio show. ΚΠ 1946 Billboard 23 Oct. 101/1 Appearing as a special guest at the meeting was Paul Dixon, local disk jockey, who presented a transcribed program which he had prepared. 1987 Times 1 Dec. 23 The Lenny Henry Show. The last programme of the series and the special guest is Jonathan Ross. 2002 S. Schechter Judy Garland (2006) 292 Judy Garland ‘Live’ at the London Palladium with Special Guest Liza Minnelli. special hire n. East African (chiefly Ugandan English) a vehicle with a driver for public hire, now esp. a taxi. ΚΠ 1950 Official Gaz. (Kenya) 28 Feb. 140/1 Special hire from Lamu to Mkowe, or vice versa. 1997 A. Gakwandi Kosiya Kifefe 109 He walked to town, brought a special hire taxi and almost made a public ceremony of his departure from the school compound. 2020 Daily Monitor (Kampala) (Nexis) 21 May Mr Katongole called for a special hire. special hospital n. British a hospital or institution where people with mental disorders are treated and kept securely; a psychiatric hospital (cf. mental hospital n. at mental adj.¹ and n. Compounds). ΚΠ 1950 Chambers's Encycl. IX. 281/2 It can also serve as a diagnostic centre from which the patient can be transferred to the most suitable special hospital. 1981 Guardian 9 Apr. 2/6 Other patients are returned to special hospitals for amazingly trivial misdemeanours. 2011 J. Baker et al. in S. Pryjmachuk Mental Health Nursing xii. 412 The special hospitals are..reminiscent of Victorian mental institutions. special interest n. something in which only a limited number of people have an interest, esp. politically; (chiefly U.S.) a group or corporation which seeks special advantages for itself, usually by political means; frequently attributive (cf. special interest group n.). ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > types of association, society, or organization > [noun] > corporation or body corporate > seeking special advantages special interest1901 1901 Gunton's Mag. Apr. 325 In the early days of the republic, before large industrial interests arose, open voting was an easy way of providing for the free exercise of the suffrage, but with the growth of special interests and development of a large wage class an element of coercive dictatorship arose. 1906 Railway Clerk Oct. 396/1 Labor with a mighty effort, and the ballot box, as their weapon, could sweep the blood sucking ‘special interests,’ representatives off the political map. 1910 G. Pinchot Fight for Conservation 134 The people of the United States believe that..the Senate and the House no longer represent the voters by whom they were elected, but the special interests by whom they are controlled. 1980 Outdoor Life (U.S.) Oct. (Northeast ed.) 21/2 It is a measure of the arrogance of the special interests that 53 of the new lease applications are for tracts inside the proposed wilderness area. 1982 Time 8 Nov. 92/2 The special-interest slangs generated then were interminably publicized. 2009 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 1 Apr. a19/4 The Clintons attacked special interests and excluded them from policy-making deliberations. special investigation n. (chiefly with capital initials) an investigation of a specialized or unconventional nature; (chiefly attributive) designating a police or military force that oversees or implements such an investigation; also in plural. ΚΠ 1900 Weekly Irish Times 22 Sept. 8/2 Both officers have been for years connected with the Special Investigation Department. 1976 Kennebec Jrnl. (Augusta, Maine) 22 Sept. 1/5 The undercover agent who made out the original report was part of the police-administered Department of Special Investigations. 2014 M. Katayanagi in J. Genser & B. S. Ugarte United Nations Security Council Age Human Rights v. 135 Investigation of human-rights violations could be carried out by the human-rights component of a peacekeeping operation, or a special investigation team could work alongside the peacekeeping mission. special issue n. Law a specific allegation; an issue (see issue n. 13a) raised by the denial of a specific allegation. ΚΠ 1607 J. Cowell Interpreter sig. Oo3/2 The speciall issue then must be that, where speciall mater being alleadged by the defendant for his defence; both the parties ioyne therevpon. 1773 Attorney's Compl. Guide Court King's Benche. 121 Pay for entries and join in the special issue, or give general issue, and take notice of trial. 1840 G. Worthington Inq. Power Juries on Questions of Law 39 Upon this special issue, the jury might give a special verdict. 1911 Wisconsin Session Laws cci. 226 If such jury shall find upon such special issue that such accused person was so insane or that there is reasonable doubt of his sanity..they shall return a verdict of not guilty because insane. 2010 M. D. Cunningham Eval. Capital Sentencing ii. 46 Future violence risk considerations most often are asserted as a special issue or an aggravating factor by the state. Special K n. (also with lower-case initial(s)) [ < special adj. + K n. at K n. Additions, punningly after Special K, a proprietary name for a breakfast cereal] slang (originally U.S.) the veterinary anaesthetic ketamine, used as a recreational drug; cf. K n. at K n. Additions. ΚΠ 1986 S. Churcher N.Y. Confidential vii. 174 You might want to try substituting ‘special t’ for the ‘special k’ (ketamine) at your next dinner party. 2005 Mirror (Nexis) 24 Sept. 8 She snorted line after line of coke and Special K during a debauched night at a plush apartment in London. special licence n. licence granted to two people to marry at a time or place that is not usually allowed, or that does not conform to the usual regulations; a licence authorizing this. ΚΠ 1640 Englands Complaint sig. F2, At such times (which altogether containe almost halfe of the yeare) without the Bishops Speciall Licence, no Man or Woman may Marry. 1670 T. Blount Νομο-λεξικον: Law-dict. Advent,..This is also one of the times, from the beginning whereof..the solemnizing of marriage is forbidden, without special Licence. 1712 Bp. St. Asaph's Charge to Clergy 25 None should be clandestinely married, without Banns being first publish'd, or without Special Licence obtain'd. 1790 F. Burney Diary Jan. (1842) V. 85 Mr Fairly's marriage..was by special licence, and at the house of Sir R— F—. 1825 H. Wilson Mem. iii. 168 Lord Frederic Beauclerc..declares himself willing to..marry us, privately, by special licence, provided you agree to grant him les droits du seigneur. Worcester enquired what that meant. Simply, les droits du mari, for the first night. 1908 H. Cecil Let. 20 Aug. in R. S. Churchill Winston S. Churchill (1969) II. Compan. ii. 808 A special licence costs a lot of money..so you had better go for an ordinary one or for banns. 1973 Scotsman 7 Aug. 6/2 The ‘wedding’ in the registrar's office at Dumfries took place after the couple were granted a special licence in the courthouse only 50 yards away. 2010 Sun (Nexis) 14 July 19 Clergy will no longer have to apply for a special licence if a couple from one church want to marry in another. special measures n. (also with capital initials) (in the United Kingdom) a status applied to an establishment, esp. a school, which exhibits poor performance or fails to meet standards and is typically given support for improvement; esp. in in special measures. ΚΠ 1997 Times Educ. Suppl. 18 July 46/1 (advt.) The Governors wish to appoint an experienced, enthusiastic and committed Headteacher for this community school which has been in Special Measures since March 1997. 2006 Independent 5 July 2/2 The commission wrote to the Health Secretary..requesting the trust be placed on special measures after it found senior managers had ‘failed to identify and correct situations involving physical, emotional and environmental abuse’. 2013 J. Sutcliffe 8 Qualities Successful School Leaders v. 80 We worked there for a year together to get the school out of special measures. special mention n. a distinction accorded to an entry in a competition that is judged to be of merit but is not awarded a top prize; cf. honourable mention n. at honourable adj., adv., and n. Compounds. ΘΚΠ society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] > marks > specific marks accessit1753 honour1774 credit1802 second class1810 firsta1830 first class1830 third class1844 Hons.1850 max1851 second1852 special mention1886 distinction?1890 A1892 E1892 pass mark1894 two-two1895 alpha1898 alpha plus1898 gamma1898 beta1902 delta1911 alpha minus1914 fourth1914 straight A1926 two-one1937 lower second1960 honourable mention2011 the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > honour > [noun] > conferring of honour > an) honour(s) or distinction worshipOE mensk?c1225 pre-eminence1433 honoura1500 pre-eminency1555 a feather in the cap, hat1581 garland1591 honorarium1609 honorary1610 blushing honours1623 signal1655 gayness1670 honourability1694 honourable mention1797 special mention1886 1886 Amer. Florist 1 Jan. 170 Mr. Meehan was awarded a special mention for a new bouvardia named Rosea Multiflora. 1965 Washington Post 23 Apr. a23/ A special mention was awarded to Harry Naltchayan of The Washington Post for a black-and-white print of his picture of a group of firemen. 2004 T. Ganti Bollywood vi. 212 Bimal Roy's Kabuliwa (The Man from Kabul) wins a special mention for music at the Berlin Film Festival. special occasion n. and adj. (a) n. a particularly noteworthy event, ceremony, social gathering, or celebration; (b) adj. of, relating to, suitable for, or used at such an event. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > social event > [noun] special occasion1574 affair1736 functiona1792 event1820 doa1824 socialities1825 occasion1855 time1878 society > leisure > social event > [adjective] > suitable for social events special occasion1574 society > leisure > social event > a merrymaking or convivial occasion > [noun] treschec1290 laetificationc1485 gossiping1557 special occasion1574 merry-meeting1597 merrymaking1618 frolic1645 merriment1663 rush1788 convivialities1830 merrymake1833 upshot1837 ball1879 spurt1885 sing-sing1899 jolly1905 rage1980 1574 J. Whitgift Def. Aunswere to Admon. 496 The Psalmes..all were made at the first vpon some speciall occasion. 1651 J. Howell S.P.Q.V. 52 Those who for som notable exploits..are at sundry times, and upon speciall occasions admitted thereunto [sc. as magistrates]. 1735 M. Foster Exam. Scheme Church-power 127 Alterations in our Constitution..could be effected..by Councils held on Special Occasions. 1826 T. B. Macaulay Let. 26 July in G. O. Trevelyan Life & Lett. Macaulay (1876) I. iii. 143 He is not one of those show-talkers who reserve all their good things for special occasions. 1868 All Year Round 11 July 108/1 He visits the Barrack Room..on special occasions, as kit-inspection or muster-parade. 1910 Encycl. Brit. I. 74/2 The special occasion roll-call at Eton College is called ‘Absence’, which the boys attend in their tall hats. 1941 W. Abbot Handbk. Broadcasting (ed. 2) xxvi. 322 Staff writers prepare commercial continuity, talks, announcements, interviews, special-occasion scripts, original plays, adaptations, and often station publicity. 1949 Life 19 Sept. 173/1 He'd found the precious bottle in Mombasa two weeks before and had saved it for a special occasion. 1957 Times Lit. Suppl. 8 Nov. 678/5 Instruction covers everything from the regular features of the dinner table to special-occasion items for the buffet or the hors-d'œuvre tray. 2000 T. May Victorian Railway Worker 17 The station-master was a man of some substance, especially at the larger stations, where he might possess a frock coat and silk hat for special occasions. 2011 Hoosier Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 27 Nov. (Herald-Times ed.) a7/3 The staff specializes in perms, color, foils and special occasion hair styles, including proms and weddings. special offer n. a specially reduced price or other financial inducement, usually available for only a limited period of time. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > monetary value > price > low price or rate > [noun] > price reduced for a sale special offer1855 sale price1902 1855 Masonic Rev. Jan. 255 This is a special offer, outside of our standing ‘terms’. 1932 Extension Mag. Feb. 64 (advt.) I want to take advantage of your special offer and enclose $3.50. 1977 Western Morning News 1 Sept. 1/1 Instant coffee is to be on ‘special offer’ in various shops and supermarkets for the next six months. 2012 Daily Tel. 12 Nov. 11/1 Shoppers are being offered money-off discounts and special offers. special op n. (also with capital initials) Military (chiefly in plural) = special operation n. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military operations > [noun] > other operations combined operation1834 night operation1835 police action1855 night op1916 special operation1917 island-hopping1944 jungle-bashing1954 special op1963 psy-op1965 1963 New Statesman 11 Jan. 51/3 What are ‘special ops’? Ways of forging documents and arranging murders and other deeds of darkness with government approval. 1988 R. J. Ray Hit Man Cometh x. 168 Devane had worked with Special Ops before... There were too many officers and not enough grunts. 2010 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 6 Apr. He is ex-British army, having got out after a nasty special op in Afghanistan when some civilians were killed. special order n. (a) a directive issued in a particular situation or under special circumstances; (b) an order placed by a customer for an item which a shop does not have or keep in stock; (also) an order placed for an item which needs to be specially made or customized. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > buying > [noun] > order special order1547 order1746 mail order1867 line1892 pre-order1957 society > authority > command > command or bidding > [noun] > injunction or instruction > an injunction or instruction charge138. advisementa1387 instruction1410 jointc1475 injunction1526 special order1547 direction1576 encharge1595 direct1615 directing1632 directive1642 game law1820 mot d'ordre1905 1547 Proclam. Duke of Somerset (single sheet) Besides their free accesse and conuersacion in our said Campe, thei shalbe by speciall ordre from vs, truely satisfied and contented for the same. 1656 Humble Proposals to Parl. 7 The Chancery has by special orders of late ordered Alimony, but that was because the Ecclesiastical Courts were abolished. 1724 W. Bohun Practising Attorney ii. 194 The Examiner is not to examine any Witness to invalidate the Credit of any other Witness, but by special Order of the Court. 1871 N.Y. Times 12 July 1/2 The following special order was telegraphed to all the Police Stations in the City. 1938 Bakersfield Californian 4 May 9/8 A man.., upon learning that the store did not have it in stock, placed a special order for it. 1950 Pittsburgh Courier 1 July 1 Special orders have been issued naming the Second Army Band.., to lead off the giant annual Independence Day parade. 1987 J. C. Harle & A. Topsfield Indian Art Ashmolean Mus. ii. 71/2 It was possibly made as a special order for a European customer. 2009 M. C. Lamia & M. J. Krieger White Knight Syndrome vi. 92 He offered to place a special order for her, even though the supplements were in stock, just so he could get her phone number. special-order v. North American transitive to place an order for (an item which a shop does not currently have or keep in stock); (also) to place an order for (an item which needs to be specially made or customized); cf. special order n. (b). ΚΠ 1927 Evening Independent (Massillion, Ohio) 7 Apr. 3 (advt.) We will special order anything in Roses, Shrubs, Trees, and Evergreens at about 1/2 or less the price you can get it elsewhere. 1982 Boston Globe (Electronic ed.) 12 Aug. 1 You can special order a custom futon and platform from Essentials. 2014 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 5 Mar. l1 They no longer stock Arabic-Haitian kibi, but they can now be special ordered by the dozen, with two days notice. special paper n. now historical (chiefly in the United Kingdom) an examination taken in addition to the advanced level of the General Certificate of Education, formerly known as a scholarship paper and used to support university entrance applications; cf. S level n. at S n.¹ Initialisms 1. ΘΚΠ society > education > educational administration > examination > [noun] > paper test-paper1827 examination paper1829 paper1835 exam paper1837 taste-paper1860 bumf1889 special paper1960 1960 Economist 17 Sept. 1073/3 Those who get into the first three of those grades would then qualify to have their results in an ‘S’ or special paper taken in to account. 1963 Times Educ. Suppl. 1 Feb. 197/4 In your issue of November 23 a letter was published concerning the restriction imposed by the S.S.E.C. that no A level candidate may offer more than two of the special papers which are to replace the scholarship papers. 1976 Bridgwater Mercury 21 Dec. 1/5 Karen..passed all of her A level subjects, English, Economics and History at Grade A, as well as gaining a Distinction on the Special Paper in the last subject. 2002 South Wales Evening Post (Nexis) 12 Aug. 3 AEAs were taken for the first time this summer by the brainiest sixth formers. They replaced the discontinued ‘special papers’, known as S-levels. special partner n. originally and chiefly U.S. a partner who has capital in a business under special conditions or provisions; cf. limited partner n. at limited adj. and n. Compounds, sleeping partner n. at sleeping adj. 5a. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > non-manual worker > businessman > [noun] > partner > types of partner sleeping partner1785 latent partner1791 principal1806 special partner1811 silent partner1818 limited partner1824 sleeper1901 limited1953 1811 H. Binney Rep. Supreme Court Pennsylvania 3 319 Dallas and Ingersoll contrà, contended that the plaintiff and defendants had by the verdict been found to be special partners. 1828 J. Kent Comm. Amer. Law III. xliii. 13 The special partners may receive an annual interest on the capital invested, provided there be no reduction of the original capital. 1889 Cent. Dict. 4309/1 If the statute governing partnerships is violated the special partner becomes liable as a general partner. 1928 Financial Times 6 Jan. 5/1 Messrs. Harvey Fisk and Sons, of New York, have admitted into partnership Mr. John Aspinwall as a special partner and Mr. Frank L. Sherrer as a general partner. 2007 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 5 Jan. c3 Mr. Madigan was a special partner at Madison Dearborn, a private equity firm that is considering a bid for Tribune. special police n. a police unit with specialized duties, esp. which differ from those typically assumed by the police. ΘΚΠ society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > branch or part of police force > specific water1552 armed police1787 special police1804 detective force1849 traffic police1883 vice squad1905 drug squad1913 blue force1920 ghost squad1922 flying squad1927 Sweeney1936 morality squad1945 courtesy patrol1961 strike force1961 pussy posse1963 drugs squad1965 vice1967 mobile1971 uniform branch1972 uniform1978 NCIS1991 society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > branch or part of police force > specific > foreign special police1804 shock police1937 1804 Times 22 Aug. The King addressed the following note to the President de Tilly, Chief of the Special Police of the City. 1937 Life 28 June 29/1 Mayor Daniel A. Knaggs..called off the special police who had broken the Newton Steel strike. 2011 G. Toal & C. T. Dahlman Bosnia Remade iv. 117 Special police from the security center in Bijeljina eventually aided Zvornik police in expelling and arresting paramilitary groups. special relationship n. a particularly close relationship between countries, often resulting from shared history, politics, or culture, spec. that of the United Kingdom with the United States. ΚΠ 1900 Proc. 2nd Internat. Congregational Council 1899 162 We up in Canada..do not get very much recognition as a rule because of our peculiar relationship to Great Britain and our special relationship to the United States. 1929 E. C. Thomas Lay Folks' Hist. Liturgy i. xiv. 62 In addition to the missions mentioned above, there seems to have been a special relationship between Britain and Galicia. 1945 Hansard Commons 7 Nov. 1299 We should not abandon our special relationship with the United States and Canada about the atomic bomb. 1980 Encounter May 41/2 The encounters took on a peculiarly symbolic significance at a time when various signs point to the possible demise of Israel's ‘special relationship’ with West Germany and the United States. 2013 Guardian (Nexis) 30 Aug. 5 David Cameron..made strikingly few references to ‘our good friends and allies’ the Americans, let alone to the ‘special relationship’. special rapporteur n. a person appointed by an international organization (esp. the United Nations) to investigate and report on a particular issue, esp. concerning human rights; cf. rapporteur n. 2. ΚΠ 1922 Music Trades 5 Aug. 40/1 Special rapporteurs, according to the invitation, will be appointed to sum up the contents of the different papers submitted to the conference. 1930 E. Drummond League of Nations Introd. 14 In the event of a political dispute, the Council appoints a special rapporteur who explains the circumstances, suggests methods of settlement and gives a public account of the decisions reached by the Council. 1954 N.Y. Times 19 Jan. 3/3 The proceedings in the U.N... Commission on Human Rights... Appointed Charles D. Ammoun..as special rapporteur to undertake global study of discrimination in education. 2007 Hindustan Times 28 May 13/4 United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Myammar, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, has called her confinement ‘cruel and unacceptable’. special relativistic adj. [after special relativity n.] Physics of or relating to the special theory of relativity; modified or formulated in accordance with that theory. ΚΠ 1921 L. Silberstein in Jrnl. Franklin Inst. 191 559 The addition theorem of velocities and special relativistic mechanics and optics of moving bodies. 1970 Nature 17 Oct. 273/1 The rectilinear Galilean transformation was discarded by Einstein in favour of the special-relativistic (Lorentz) transformation to a uniformly moving frame. 2007 D. Home & A. Whitaker Einstein's Struggles with Quantum Theory iii. 55 All special relativistic effects are believed to become negligibly small in the observationally verified domain of Newtonian mechanics. special relativity n. [perhaps after German spezielle Relativität (although this is apparently first attested slightly later than in English: 1920 (in a work by Einstein) or earlier)] Physics = special theory of relativity at relativity n. 3. ΚΠ 1919 tr. A. Einstein in Times 28 Nov. 13/6 The most important result of the special relativity system concerned the inert mass of a material system. 1956 E. H. Hutten Lang. Mod. Physics iii. 99 The theory of special relativity rests mainly on the Michelson experiment. 2010 Church Times 14 May 32/3 Special relativity endorses the concept that space-time is a single atemporal reality. Special Reserve n. now historical (in Britain) a non-professional military force trained to act as a reserve for the regular armed forces in time of war. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > branch of army > [noun] > special reserves or Territorial Army army of reserve1607 reserves1826 Special Reserve1907 Territorial Army1907 home guard1908 T.A.1924 TAVR1967 1907 Times 28 May 8/1 The Empress of India will be recommissioned to-day with a reduced nucleus crew for service in the Special Reserve. 1908 Times 11 Apr. 8/2 The second order details the precise conditions of the transfer of all Militia units, except those disbanded, to the Special Reserve. 1909 Army & Navy Gaz. 19 June 589/2 Mr. Haldane stated that bayonets are now being issued to all infantry units of the Special Reserve which are being armed with the short rifle. 1935 Regs. for Officers & Airmen of Special Reserve serving in R.A.F. Squadrons (Amendment 5) 1 Applications for the attendance of Special Reserve personnel to give evidence in private lawsuits will be reported at once through the usual channels. 2005 G. Sheffield & J. Bourne in D. Haig War Diaries & Lett. 1914–18 54 Haldane had played a key role in the preparation of the British Army for war, including the creation of..the Special Reserve. special sense n. any of the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and (in later use) touch. ΚΠ 1606 S. Lennard tr. T. Buoni Problemes of Beautie xciii. 194 All other Delights whatsoeuer, belonging vnto the other speciall senses [It. sensi speciali], were especially graunted vnto man. 1687 Chirurgorum Comes ii. xxiv. 193/1 The Instruments of four special Senses, to wit, of Hearing, Seeing, Smelling and Tasting. 1868 J. C. Dalton Treat. Physiol. & Hygiene xvii. 305 Each special sense has a nerve which is devoted to it. 2006 K. D. Rose Beginning Age Mammals ii. 24/2 Cranial nerves (CNs) serve many vital functions: they are responsible for the special senses, control muscles and supply sensory innervation to the head and neck. special session n. (a) British (chiefly in plural) a periodic meeting of justices of the peace, convened by statute to address a particular kind of business (now historical); occasionally with singular agreement; (b) a session of a legislative or regulatory body, convened outside the regular schedule in order to address urgent business. ΘΚΠ society > law > administration of justice > judicial body, assembly, or court > a or the session of a court > [noun] > type of special session1581 extraordinary session1658 1581 W. Lambarde Eirenarcha ii. xx. 501 At the speciall Sessions, they [sc. the justices of the peace] are at libertie to giue charge, eyther all, or any of them. a1661 T. Fuller Worthies (1662) Berks. 90 These suspecting that the Judges Itinerant in their circuit would be too favourable unto them, procured a special Session. 1742 J. Higgs Guide to Justices 157 They are to summon the Person or Persons..personally to appear before his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, at the next Special Sessions for your division. 1793 Connecticut Courant 5 Aug. At a special session of the Circuit Court of the United States, now sitting, an indictment was found by the grand jury against Joseph Ravara..for a misdemeanor. 1862 Penny Illustr. Paper 4 Oct. 219/1 No person is to keep cows without a licence obtained from the justices at a special sessions. 1947 Sun (Baltimore) 8 Nov. 6/2 The special session was called..to begin congressional study of the long range Marshall plan. 2000 D. Allen Ipswich Borough Arch. 91 Special Sessions were also held, such as the annual Licensing Meetings for inns and alehouses. special situation n. Stock Market a situation where price movements of a stock are caused by factors unique to that security and independent of the market as a whole; frequently attributive. ΚΠ 1946 B. Graham in Analysts Jrnl. 2 31 A special situation is one in which a particular development is counted upon to yield a satisfactory profit in the security even though the general market does not advance. 1994 D. A. Seiver Outsmarting Wall St. (ed. 3) ii. 31 Special-situation stocks are riskier than other stocks. 2006 Financial Times 25 May 21/1 The main purchasers..are..special situation investors. special sort n. Typography a character, typically an accented letter or a symbol, that is not normally included in a font. ΚΠ 1885 Inland Printer Nov. 119/2 (advt.) The dress on The Mail was furnished entire by your company with the exception of..some special sorts. 1936 S. Morison First Princ. Typography 4 The normal roman type (in simple form without special sorts, etc.) consists of ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ &. 1997 G. Page et al. Jrnl. Publishing iii. 74 In choosing the typeface, remember that chemistry, mathematics, physics, linguistics and foreign languages all demand special sorts. 2003 M. Belson On the Press i. 35 When a special sort was particularly complicated,..the apprentice would have to run to the Stereo Department to get a stereotyper to make the accent. special stage n. (in rally driving) a stage involving particularly difficult driving. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > racing with vehicles > motor racing > [noun] > race testing car quality, skill, etc. > test or stage noise check1960 special stage1961 1961 Motoring News 23 Nov. 10/3 This was a special stage and..Walter had, in effect, only wrong-slotted. 1977 Belfast Tel. 27 Jan. 25/4 The other two members of the team have elected him to drive all the competitive sections—or special stages—along the 18,000 mile route. 2013 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 7 Jan. (Sport section) 20 Carlos Sainz opened his campaign for a second Dakar Rally title by taking the opening 13-kilometre special stage between Lima and Pisco on Saturday. special tail n. (formerly also tail special) [ < special adj. + tail n.², after Anglo-Norman and Law French taille special (see tail special at tail n.² 3b)] Law (now historical) limitation of an estate to a special class of heirs; = tail special at tail n.² 3b. ΚΠ 1528–30 tr. T. Littleton Tenures (new ed.) f. ii Tenant in tayle speciall, is where landes and tenementes be gyuen vnto a man and his wyfe and to the heyres of theyr .ii. bodyes begoten. ?1538 Inst. Lawes Eng. sig. C.iv^v There is a generall tayle, and a specyall tayle. 1642 tr. J. Perkins Profitable Bk. v. §302. 134 If Tenant in generall taile, take a wife, and enfeoff a stranger and take back an estate unto him and his wife in speciall taile. 1762 T. Smollett Adventures Sir Launcelot Greaves I. i. 7 We must make a distinction between general tail and special tail. 1996 Cambr. Law Jrnl. 55 253 Under the 1384 settlement..the donor was herself tenant in special tail. special team n. (chiefly in plural) (a) American Football a squad that is used to perform during kick-offs, punts, and other special plays (frequently attributive); (b) Ice Hockey the unit of a team that performs during a power play. ΚΠ 1961 Times (San Mateo, Calif.) 26 Sept. 8/1 The coach said he thought the play of his special teams..fell down completely. 1985 Coaching Rev. Jan. 15/1 They could only win with special teams, two-way play and the best goaltending of the tournament. 1998 New Yorker 9 Nov. 59/4 He was made captain of the special-teams unit, also known in football as the ‘suicide squad’. 2006 G. Jantz Molding of Champion xii. 210 The calls are being made by the head coach, whose strategies may or may not be understood or appreciated by the special team coach. 2010 Gazette (Montreal) (Nexis) 12 Jan. b9 There's nothing wrong with the Canadiens' special teams, except for the amount of time they're on the ice. special teamer n. American Football a player who is part of the special teams squad. ΚΠ 1972 Washington Post 1 Nov. c2/3 Special teamer Mike Hull [has] a hip pointer. 1990 J. Izenberg No Medals for Trying iii. 91 The prototype special teamer is not the returner. 2014 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 13 Mar. d4/5 The Browns signed 5-8, 170-pound special teamer and backup cornerback Isaiah Trufant. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022). specialv. Brit. /ˈspɛʃl/, U.S. /ˈspɛʃ(ə)l/ Inflections: Present participle specialling, (chiefly U.S.) specialing; past tense and past participle specialled, (chiefly U.S.) specialed; Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: special adj. Etymology: < special adj. †1. transitive and intransitive. slang. To write a newspaper article about (a special event or area of interest). Cf. specialling n. at Derivatives. Obsolete. rare. ΚΠ 1861 Illustr. London News 31 Aug. 213/1 We sincerely trust that..J. W. D., who was there, and ‘specialled’ the Antwerpian festivities for the leading journal, enjoyed himself. 1863 Illustr. London News 7 Nov. 478/2 Mr. Antonia Gallenga (who has likewise been ‘specialling’ for the Times). 2. transitive. U.S. colloquial. To send (a letter, package, etc.) by special delivery. Now rare. ΚΠ 1861 Testimony Army Supplies 539 in Govt. Contracts in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (37th Congr., 2nd Sess.: House of Representatives Rep. 2, Pt. 1) I All the rest was specialed out to parties in the city here at seven and eight cents a pound. 1899 Railway Mag. Dec. 485 The mails are conveyed by a special steamer..and specialled through to London. 1919 M. Mitchell Let. 15 Nov. in Dynamo going to Waste (1985) 48 I have specialed, wired, and sent night letters but have received absolutely no answer. 1951 Afro-Amer. 10 Nov. 3/3 I am enclosing a letter of protest I immediately specialed to Walter Winchell. 3. transitive. colloquial. Chiefly U.S. To offer (food, clothing, etc.) at a discounted price, usually for a limited period of time. ΚΠ 1891 Rocky Mountain News (Denver) 19 July 4/9 (advt.) We are specialing a lot of 40c, 50c and 60c qualities at 25c a yard. 1939 Hutchinson (Kansas) News 18 Aug. 11/2 Large green ones are the same price with one store specialling them at 4 pounds for 25c. 1952 Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, Texas) 1 Dec. 1/5 Other stores are specialing ladies fall dresses at $3 apiece. 2012 Waikato Times (Hamilton, N.Z.) (Nexis) 31 July 15 But [lamb legs]..were often ‘specialled’ by supermarkets to attract customers. 4. transitive. slang. Of a member of staff of a hospital, esp. a nurse: to attend continuously to (a single patient). ΘΚΠ society > communication > journalism > [verb (intransitive)] > work as special correspondent special1910 1910 Harper's Mag. Mar. 593/1 She had asked permission to special a case in the Free Ward who couldn't afford to pay a nurse. 1961 ‘K. Norway’ Waterfront Hosp. vii. 130 She seems determined to special Emlyn Roberts. 1967 Nursing Times 27 Jan. 111/1 A nurse will have to ‘special’ the patient to make the necessary observations. 1978 L. Isenberg in D. Abse My Med. School 207 One night we were asked if someone would ‘special’ a lady who might require surgery during the night for suspected abdominal trauma. 2002 Times 21 May ii. 15/1 Annie was without formal qualifications in psychiatric nursing, but had oodles of can-do attitude... We persuaded her to stay, and take on the job of ‘specialing’ Lucy. Derivatives ˈspecialling n. ΚΠ 1889 Indicator Oct. 369/1 Mr. Boyd..taught him the art of ‘specialing’. 1915 T. Burke Nights in Town 318 I have worked on six newspapers... I have done everything, from subbing to specialling. 1965 New Castle (Pa.) News 22 Apr. 36/2 Chuck roasts, round and sirloin steaks are beef cuts likely to be selected by retailers for weekend specialing. 2005 M. Holt Nurse at War (2011) 284 He has severe injuries. He'll need constant specialling. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.adv.n.?c1225v.1861
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specialadj.adv.n.

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specialv.

Derivatives