spectrum
Physics.
an array of entities, as light waves or particles, ordered in accordance with the magnitudes of a common physical property, as wavelength or mass: often the band of colors produced when sunlight is passed through a prism, comprising red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
this band or series of colors together with extensions at the ends that are not visible to the eye, but that can be studied by means of photography, heat effects, etc., and that are produced by the dispersion of radiant energy other than ordinary light rays.: Compare band spectrum, electromagnetic spectrum, mass spectrum.
a broad range of varied but related ideas or objects, the individual features of which tend to overlap so as to form a continuous series or sequence: the spectrum of political beliefs.
the range of traits and behaviors that are considered to be characteristic of autism spectrum disorder.
Idioms about spectrum
on the spectrum, having an autism spectrum disorder, or displaying behaviors considered characteristic of those disorders: The nonprofit works to increase public awareness about the day-to-day issues faced by people on the spectrum.
Origin of spectrum
1Words Nearby spectrum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use spectrum in a sentence
The federal government also plans to auction more spectrum in the 3GHz to 4GHz band soon, which the carriers will likely acquire to improve their 5G networks.
By one key measure of tech prowess, the U.S. ranks dead last | Aaron Pressman | August 26, 2020 | FortuneInstead, we’re merging the old and the new into a spectrum of options, allowing them to collide and coexist as long as they meet the needs of patients and allow us to advance toward an optimal state of functioning.
COVID-19 has spurred rapid transformation in health care. Let’s make sure it stays that way | jakemeth | August 20, 2020 | FortuneJust over half a decade previously, many network operators had spent eye-watering amounts on securing radio spectrum for 3G mobile-broadband networks, but they still had little to show for it.
At the other end of the wage spectrum, demand for farm workers is as strong as ever — though the jobs carry harrowing coronavirus risks.
They assessed whether each measurement in each person was toward the female end of the spectrum, toward the male end or intermediate.
In other words, fluoride is a broad-spectrum, bipartisan, long-lasting magnet for dissent.
On the other end of the spectrum, there lies an artist like Lena Dunham, who engages in a flaunting of the flawed self.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination | Mindy Farabee | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOverall, Paris Magnum reaches both too widely and too thinly in trying to convey a sense of spectrum.
Today, Sunday, the cast will perform a softened, “autism-friendly” version of the production for those on the spectrum.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are two other standout works, which depict Mary as a loving, nurturing mother.
These indications are derived from the study of the lines in the light which the spectrum reveals to us when critically examined.
Outlines of the Earth's History | Nathaniel Southgate ShalerThese words represent only the primary colors of the moral spectrum.
By the Christmas Fire | Samuel McChord CrothersIn the spectrum of csium two lines in the blue, Cs and Cs , are strongly marked.
Kirchkoff used four prisms in his experiments upon the solar spectrum.
With solutions so dilute as this, there is no absorption at either the violet or the red end of the spectrum.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection | Alexander Wynter Blyth
British Dictionary definitions for spectrum
/ (ˈspɛktrəm) /
the distribution of colours produced when white light is dispersed by a prism or diffraction grating. There is a continuous change in wavelength from red, the longest wavelength, to violet, the shortest. Seven colours are usually distinguished: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red
the whole range of electromagnetic radiation with respect to its wavelength or frequency
any particular distribution of electromagnetic radiation often showing lines or bands characteristic of the substance emitting the radiation or absorbing it: See also absorption spectrum, emission spectrum
any similar distribution or record of the energies, velocities, masses, etc, of atoms, ions, electrons, etc: a mass spectrum
any range or scale, as of capabilities, emotions, or moods
another name for an afterimage
Origin of spectrum
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for spectrum
[ spĕk′trəm ]
A range over which some measurable property of a physical phenomenon, such as the frequency of sound or electromagnetic radiation, or the mass of specific kinds of particles, can vary. For example, the spectrum of visible light is the range of electromagnetic radiation with frequencies between between 4.7 X 1014 and 7.5 X 1014 hertz.
The observed distribution of a phenomenon across a range of measurement. See more at atomic spectrum spectroscopy.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for spectrum
The range of wavelengths characteristic of a specific type of radiation.
Notes for spectrum
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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