What is "specific heat"

specific \spe*cif"ic\ (sp[-e]*s[i^]f"[i^]k), a. [F. sp['e]cifique, or NL. spesificus; L. species a particular sort or kind + facere to make. Cf. specify.]

1. Of or pertaining to a species; characterizing or constituting a species; possessing the peculiar property or properties of a thing which constitute its species, and distinguish it from other things; as, the specific form of an animal or a plant; the specific qualities of a drug; the specific distinction between virtue and vice.

   Specific difference is that primary attribute which distinguishes each species from one another.
   --I. Watts.

2. Specifying; definite, or making definite; limited; precise; discriminating; as, a specific statement.

3. (Med.) Exerting a peculiar influence over any part of the body; preventing or curing disease by a peculiar adaptation, and not on general principles; as, quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria. In fact, all medicines will be found specific in the perfection of the science. --Coleridge. Specific character (Nat. Hist.), a characteristic or characteristics distinguishing one species from every other species of the same genus. Specific disease (Med.)

   1. A disease which produces a determinate definite effect upon the blood and tissues or upon some special tissue.

   2. A disease which is itself uniformly produced by a definite and peculiar poison or organism.

      Specific duty. (Com.) See under Duty.

      Specific gravity. (Physics) See under Gravity.

      Specific heat (Physics), the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a body one degree, taking as the unit of measure the quantity required to raise the same weight of water from zero to one degree; thus, the specific heat of mercury is 0.033, that of water being 1.000.

      Specific inductive capacity (Physics), the effect of a dielectric body in producing static electric induction as compared with that of some other body or bodies referred to as a standard.

      Specific legacy (Law), a bequest of a particular thing, as of a particular animal or piece of furniture, specified and distinguished from all others.
      --Wharton.
      --Burrill.

      Specific name (Nat. Hist.), the name which, appended to the name of the genus, constitutes the distinctive name of the species; -- originally applied by Linn[ae]us to the essential character of the species, or the essential difference. The present specific name he at first called the trivial name.

      Specific performance (Law), the peformance of a contract or agreement as decreed by a court of equity.

n. 1 (context physics English) the ratio of the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a unit mass of substance by a unit degree to the amount of heat needed to raise that of the same mass of water by the same amount 2 (context physics English) the amount of heat, in calories, needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius

n. the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree centigrade