pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)1. Objects, such as coins, household items, or natural specimens, that are included in a collection primarily composed of documentary materials, as in a library.
2. a. Objects drawn from real life that are used in classroom instruction.
b. Images or illustrations that represent such objects, especially in a textbook.
3. Real things or facts, especially in contrast to interpretations or idealized representations of them: "a chronicle ... that emphasized whimsical detail rather than social realia" (Catriona Kelly).