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Specific vs Picky - What's the difference?

specific | picky |

As adjectives the difference between specific and picky

is that specific is explicit or definite while picky is fussy; particular; demanding to have things just right.

As nouns the difference between specific and picky

is that specific is a distinguishing attribute or quality while picky is (informal) a picture.

specific

English

Alternative forms

* specifick (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • explicit or definite
  • (sciences) Pertaining to a species.
  • *2008 , (Richard Dawkins), The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing , Oxford 2009, p. 3:
  • *:Science and literature, then, are the two achievements of Homo sapiens that most convincingly justify the specific name.
  • (taxonomy) pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
  • special, distinctive or unique
  • intended for, or applying to a particular thing
  • being a remedy for a particular disease
    • Quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
  • * Coleridge
    • In fact, all medicines will be found specific in the perfection of the science.
  • (immunology) limited to a particular antibody or antigen
  • (physics) of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy)
  • (physics) similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)
  • (physics) a measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air)

    • Antonyms

    * all-purpose * broad * general * general-purpose * generic * gross * nonspecific * overall * pandemic * universal * unspecific * widespread

    Derived terms

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    See also

    * generic

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A distinguishing attribute or quality.
  • Something particularly adapted for a particular use, as a remedy for a particular disorder
  • Specification
  • (in the plural) The details; particulars.

    • Derived terms

    *

    External links

    * * * ----

    picky

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Fussy; particular; demanding to have things just right.
    • I am very picky about the way my kitchen works.

    Synonyms

    * fussy * particular * anal retentive * finicky * pedantic * choosy * See also

    Noun

    (pickies)
  • (informal) A picture.
  • * 1988 , Penguin Books, paperback edition, page 44
    • And who knows, I might do a few pickies of you - fully clothed, needless to say.

    Alternative forms

    * piccy

    Synonyms

    * pic