Now rare or Obs. [ad. med.L. specificāt-, ppl. stem of specificāre SPECIFY v.]
1. trans. To distinguish as belonging to a particular species, group, kind, etc.; to determine specifically.
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 43. Whereby men are most specially specificated and individuated.
1637. Gillespie, Eng.-Pop. Cerem., IV. iii. 7. An action is said to be specificated by its object, and individuated by its circumstances.
1673–4. Grew, Anat., Trunks, I. ii. (1682), 108. The Properties, whereby the said Vessels of the Barque are specificated and distinguished one from another.
refl. c. 1629. Donne, Serm., vii. (1640), 69. Life is the character by which Christ specificates and denominates himselfe.
1653. Ashwell, Fides Apost., 57. A peculiar Epithite, wherby he specificates himselfe.
2. To apply specifically or especially to; to confine or limit to.
1631. J. Burges, Answ. Rejoined, 33. God doth not onely commend Davids affection in generall, but his affection [is] actuated to a deed, and specificated to this deede.
a. 1638. Mede, Wks. (1672), 843. That passage being it seems anciently specificated to Resurrectio Prima.
1687. J. Renwick, Pref., Lect., & Serm. (1776), 446. We must understand that prayer to be specificated to that all for whom he gave himself a ransom.
3. To give specific or explicit details of or concerning; to mention specifically or in detail; to particularize or specify.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp. Disc., Pref. ¶ 25. Those few superadded precepts, in which God did specificate their prime duty.
1654. G. Goddard, in Burton’s Diary (1828), I. 150. But we shall … labour to specificate our enemies, to know who they be, and are, that seek the very destruction and being of these nations.
1843. Tait’s Mag., X. 137/1. In beginning the following story, with the same popular phrase, we specificate a very different moment from the arduous struggles of the Pretender.
1847. Carlyle, in Fraser’s Mag., XXXVI. 632. Of which latter office my Correspondent could not … quite specificate the meaning.
4. To render specific in character or qualities. † Chiefly Chem. (common c. 1650–80).
1650. Ashmole, Chym. Coll., 125. That it might … communicate its fixt Nature, to the prepared Medicine, which being specificated it might at length become perfect.
1669. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 256–7. The Vine … specificates the water … into its own shape.
1694. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens. (1715), 463/2. It is a general Remedy and may be specificated by the addition of several Salts.
1866. Nation, 4 Oct., 269/1. Words have seemingly contrary and inconsistent tendencies. Now they incline to specificate that which was generic; now to generalize that which was specific.
5. intr. To become specific.
1835. Coleridge, in Fraser’s Mag., XII. 494. In a crystal we may perceive a tendency to specificate, or become a specific total.
Hence Specificated, Specificating ppl. adjs.
1651. French, Distill., v. 163. When it hath received its body by becoming a specificated salt.
1657. Owen, Vindication of Treatise on Schism, ix. 142. Disputes about an implicit and explicit covenant, of specificating forms [etc.].
1666. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual., 316. All the Volatile, and Acid, and Lixiviate Salts, that we know of, are of so determinate and specificated a Nature,… that there is no one sort of the three.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., I. i. (1677), 40. Without any particular, specificating, concurrent, new imperate act of the Divine special Providence to every particular determination of his Will.
1763. W. Lewis, Phil. Comm. Arts, 72. The specificating principles of the metal.
