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Spectacle vs Spec - What's the difference?

spectacle | spec |

As nouns the difference between spectacle and spec

is that spectacle is something exhibited to view; usually, something presented to view as extraordinary, or as unusual and worthy of special notice; a remarkable or noteworthy sight; a show; a pageant while spec is (colloquial) short form of specification.

As a verb spec is

to specify, especially in a formal specification document.

spectacle

English

(wikipedia spectacle) (Webster 1913)

Noun

(en noun)
  • Something exhibited to view; usually, something presented to view as extraordinary, or as unusual and worthy of special notice; a remarkable or noteworthy sight; a show; a pageant
  • * 22 March 2012 , Scott Tobias, AV Club The Hunger Games [http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-hunger-games,71293/]
    • In movie terms, it suggests Paul Verhoeven in Robocop/Starship Troopers mode, an R-rated bloodbath where the grim spectacle of children murdering each other on television is bread-and-circuses for the age of reality TV, enforced by a totalitarian regime to keep the masses at bay.
  • An exciting exhibition, performance or event.
  • An embarrassing situation
    • He made a spectacle out of himself
  • (usually, in the plural) An optical instrument consisting of two lenses set in a light frame, and worn to assist sight, to obviate some defect in the organs of vision, or to shield the eyes from bright light.
  • (figuratively) An aid to the intellectual sight.
  • * Chaucer
    • Poverty a spectacle is, as thinketh me, Through which he may his very friends see.
  • (obsolete) A spyglass; a looking-glass.
  • The brille of a snake.

    • Synonyms

    * (optical instrument) glasses, eyeglasses, specs

    Related terms

    * species * spectacular * speculate

    External links

    * * ----

    spec

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (colloquial) short form of specification
  • (colloquial) short form of speculation
  • short form of specialization
  • short form of special
  • (dialect) a special place (for hiding or viewing)
  • (Australia, Australian rules football, informal) A spectacular mark (catch) in Australian rules football.

    • Derived terms

    * on spec

    Verb

  • To specify, especially in a formal specification document.
  • * 1999 , George Buehler, The Troller Yacht Book
    • I've found some professional yards want everything specced out completely while a home builder will just do things the way he wants.
  • * 1995 , Fred Moody, I Sing the Body Electronic: A Year with Microsoft on the Multimedia Frontier
    • Could they still include the kinds of playful animations Ballinger had specced now that the scenes were more realistic-looking and less whimsical?

    Anagrams

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