specialty: Meaning and Definition of

spe•cial•ty

Pronunciation: (spesh'ul-tē), [key]
— n., pl. adj. -ties,
—n.
  1. a special or distinctive quality, mark, state, or condition.
  2. a special subject of study, line of work, area of interest, or the like: His specialty is art criticism.
  3. an article or service particularly dealt in, rendered, manufactured, etc., or one to which the provider, dealer, or manufacturer claims to devote special care: The manufacturer's specialty is fine hats.
  4. an article of unusual or superior design or quality.
  5. a novelty; a new article.
  6. an article with such strong consumer demand that it is at least partially removed from price competition.
  7. a special or particular point, item, matter, characteristic, or peculiarity.
    1. a special agreement, contract, etc., expressed in an instrument under seal.
    2. a negotiable instrument not under seal.
—adj.
  1. (in vaudeville) specialty actor; specialty act.
    1. performing or performed in a manner that is unusual or not customary for a type of act, esp. a performance involving dexterity or ingenuity, as a patter song:specialty actor; specialty act.
    2. (of a song or dance) isolated from the rest of the show:specialty number.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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