SPECIAL, n. A particular. [Not Used.]

1. Designating a species or sort. A special idea is called by the schools a species. – Watts.
2. Particular; peculiar; noting something more than ordinary. She smiles with a special grace. Our Savior is represented every where in Scripture as the special patron of the poor and afflicted. – Atterbury.
3. Appropriate; designed for a particular purpose. A private grant is made by a special act of parliament or of congress.
4. Extraordinary; uncommon. Our charities should be universal, but chiefly exercised on special opportunities. – Sprat.
5. Chief in excellence. The king hath drawn / The special head of all the land together. – Shak. Special administration, in law, is one in which the power of an administrator is limited to the administration of certain specific effects, and not the effects in general of the deceased. – Blackstone. Special bail, consists of actual sureties recognized to answer for the appearance of a person in court; as distinguished from common bail, which is nominal. – Blackstone. Special balif, is a bailif appointed by the sherif, for making arrests and serving processes. Special contract. [See Specialty.] Special demurrer, is one in which the cause of demurrer is particularly stated. Special imparlance, is one in which there is a saving of all exceptions to the writ or count, or of all exceptions whatsoever. – Blackstone. Special jury, is one which is called upon motion of either party, when the cause is supposed to require it. – Blackstone. Special matter in evidence, the particular facts in the case on which the defendant relies. Special plea, in bar, is a plea which sets forth the particular facts or reasons why the plaintif's demand should he barred, as a release, accord, &c. – Blackstone. Special property, a qualified or limited property, as the property which a man acquires in wild animals, by reclaiming them. Special session of a court, an extraordinary session; a session beyond the regular stated sessions; or in corporations and counties in England, a petty session held by a few justices for dispatching small business. – Blackstone. Special statute, is a private act of the legislature, such respects a private person or individual. Special tail, is where a gift is restrained to certain heirs of the donee's body, and does not descend to the heirs in general. – Blackstone. Special verdict, is a verdict in which the jury find the facts and state them as proved, but leave the law arising from the facts to be determined by the court. Another method of finding a special verdict, is when the jury find a verdict generally for the plaintif, but subject to the opinion of the court on a special case stated by the counsel on both sides, with regard to a matter of law. – Blackstone. Special warrant, a warrant to take a person and bring him before a particular justice who granted the warrant.

A particular. [Not used.] – Hammond.

1. Of or pertaining to a species; constituting a species or sort.
   
   

   A special is called by the schools a "species". I. Watts.

2. A particular.
   
   
   [Obs.] Hammond.
3. Particular; peculiar; different from others; extraordinary; uncommon.
   
   

   Our Savior is represented everywhere in Scripture as the special patron of the poor and the afficted. Atterbury.

   To this special evil an improvement of style would apply a special redress. De Quincey.

4. One appointed for a special service or occasion.
   
   

   In special, specially; in particular. Chaucer.

5. Appropriate; designed for a particular purpose, occasion, or person; as, a special act of Parliament or of Congress; a special sermon.
6. Limited in range; confined to a definite field of action, investigation, or discussion; as, a special dictionary of commercial terms; a special branch of study.
7. Chief in excellence.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   The king hath drawn
   The special head of all the land together. Shak.

   Special administration (Law), an administration limited to certain specified effects or acts, or one granted during a particular time or the existence of a special cause, as during a controversy respecting the probate of a will, or the right of administration, etc. -- Special agency, an agency confined to some particular matter. -- Special bail, Bail above, or Bail to the action (Law), sureties who undertake that, if the defendant is convicted, he shall satisfy the plaintiff, or surrender himself into custody. Tomlins. Wharton (Law Dict.). -- Special constable. See under Constable. Bouvier. -- Special damage (Law), a damage resulting from the act complained of, as a natural, but not the necessary, consequence of it. -- Special demurrer (Law), a demurrer for some defect of form in the opposite party pleading, in which the cause of demurrer is particularly stated. -- Special deposit, a deposit made of a specific thing to be kept distinct from others. -- Special homology. (Biol.) See under Homology. -- Special injuction (Law), an injuction granted on special grounds, arising of the circumstances of the case. Daniell. -- Special issue (Law), an issue produced upon a special plea. Stephen. -- Special jury (Law), a jury consisting of persons of some particular calling, station, or qualification, which is called upon motion of either party when the cause is supposed to require it; a struck jury. -- Special orders (Mil.), orders which do not concern, and are not published to, the whole command, such as those relating to the movement of a particular corps, a detail, a temporary camp, etc. -- Special partner, a limited partner; a partner with a limited or restricted responsibility; -- unknown at common law. -- Special partnership, a limited or particular partnership; -- a term sometimes applied to a partnership in a particular business, operation, or adventure. -- Special plea in bar (Law), a plea setting forth particular and new matter, distinguished from the general issue. Bouvier. -- Special pleader (Law), originally, a counsel who devoted himself to drawing special counts and pleas; in a wider sense, a lawyer who draws pleadings. -- Special pleading (Law), the allegation of special or new matter, as distingiushed from a direct denial of matter previously alleged on the side. Bouvier. The popular denomination of the whole science of pleading. Stephen. The phrase is sometimes popularly applied to the specious, but unsound, argumentation of one whose aim is victory, and not truth. Burrill. -- Special property (Law), a qualified or limited ownership possession, as in wild animals, things found or bailed. -- Special session, an extraordinary session; a session at an unusual time or for an unusual purpose; as, a special session of Congress or of a legislature. -- Special statute, or Special law, an act of the legislature which has reference to a particular person, place, or interest; -- in distinction from a general law. -- Special verdict (Law), a special finding of the facts of the case, leaving to the court the application of the law to them. Wharton (Law Dict.).

   Syn. -- Peculiar; appropriate; specific; dictinctive; particular; exceptional; singular. See Peculiar.