ˈspeshəltē, -ti noun
( -es )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English specialte, from Middle French especialté, from Late Latin specialitat-, specialitas, from Latin specialis special + -itat-, -itas -ity
1. : a particular, peculiar, or individual circumstance, detail, or characteristic : a distinctive or sometimes a restrictive mark or quality
the specialties of one's lot in life
2.
a. : an object or class of objects distinguished by some special characteristic, individual quality, or peculiarity: as
(1) : a legal agreement (as a contract or deed) embodied in a sealed instrument — compare specialty contract
(2) : a product of a special kind, made under a special patent, serving one special purpose or otherwise distinctive (as in excellence)
apple pie was mother's specialty
the specialty of the house was seafood
(3) : a security having some unusual character that makes it comparatively free from the influence of general market conditions
(4) or specialty good : an item (as an automobile, novelty, piece of jewelry, or an art object) that has an attraction for the consumer other than price that tends to induce him to put forth special effort to obtain it, is usually of relatively high unit value, is purchased infrequently in comparison with staple goods, and whose purchase is postponable
a specialty dealer
luxurious specialty shops
b. : the state of being special : possession of distinctive or peculiar or particular characteristics
3. : something in which one specializes or of which one has special knowledge: as
a. : a branch of knowledge, science, art, or business to which one devotes oneself whether as an avocation or a profession and usually to the partial or total exclusion of related matters
a chemist whose specialty is tropical alkaloids
the major medical specialties
b. : a culture trait characteristic of or restricted to a limited group in a society