spectrum


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Related to spectrum: Light spectrum

spec·trum

 (spĕk′trəm)
n. pl. spec·tra (-trə) or spec·trums
1. Physics
a. The entire range over which some measurable property of a physical system or phenomenon can vary, such as the frequency of sound, the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, or the mass of specific kinds of particles.
b. A specific portion of such a range: the infrared spectrum.
c. A characteristic distribution of phenomena manifested over such a range: the emission spectrum for sodium vapor.
d. A graphic representation of such a distribution; a spectrogram.
e. A band of colors produced when the wavelengths making up white light are separated, as when light passes through a prism or strikes drops of water.
2. A range of radio frequencies assigned by a regulatory agency for use by a given group or organization.
3.
a. A range of values of a quantity or set of related quantities: the income spectrum.
b. A sequence or range of related qualities, ideas, activities, entities, or phenomena: the whole spectrum of 20th-century thought; the spectrum of genes involved in the immune response.
Idiom:
on the spectrum
Having a form of autism spectrum disorder: students who are on the spectrum.

[Latin, appearance, from specere, to look at; see spek- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spectrum

(ˈspɛktrəm)
n, pl -tra (-trə)
1. (General Physics) 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
2. (General Physics) the whole range of electromagnetic radiation with respect to its wavelength or frequency
3. (General Physics) 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
4. (General Physics) any similar distribution or record of the energies, velocities, masses, etc, of atoms, ions, electrons, etc: a mass spectrum.
5. any range or scale, as of capabilities, emotions, or moods
6. (Physiology) another name for an afterimage
[C17: from Latin: appearance, image, from spectāre to observe, from specere to look at]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spec•trum

(ˈspɛk trəm)

n., pl. -tra (-trə), -trums.
1.
a. an array of entities, as light waves or particles, ordered in accordance with the magnitudes of a common physical property, as wavelength or mass.
b. the band or series of colors, together with invisible extensions, produced by dispersion of radiant energy, as by a prism.
2. a broad range of varied but related ideas, objects, etc., that form a continuous series or sequence: the spectrum of political beliefs.
[1605–15; < Latin: appearance, form <spec(ere) to look, regard]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

spec·trum

(spĕk′trəm)
Plural spectra (spĕk′trə) or spectrums
1. An arrangement of electromagnetic radiation by frequency and wavelength. As a whole, the electromagnetic spectrum ranges from radio waves to gamma rays. The visible spectrum is a band of colors seen when white light is broken up according to wavelengths, as when passing through a prism or striking water drops and producing a rainbow.
2. A distribution of charged atomic or subatomic particles arranged in order of masses, especially when arranged by a mass spectroscope.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spectrum

A band of electromagnetic radiation with components separated into their relative wavelengths.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.spectrum - an ordered array of the components of an emission or wavespectrum - an ordered array of the components of an emission or wave
spectrum line - an isolated component of a spectrum formed by radiation at a uniform frequency
array - an orderly arrangement; "an array of troops in battle order"
absorption spectrum - the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation that has passed through a medium that absorbed radiation of certain wavelengths
action spectrum - the efficiency with which electromagnetic radiation produces a photochemical reaction plotted as a function of the wavelength of the radiation
atomic spectrum - (physics) a spectrum of radiation caused by electron transitions within an atom; the series of spectrum lines is characteristic of the element
electromagnetic spectrum - the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves
emission spectrum - spectrum of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a self-luminous source
infrared spectrum - the spectrum of infrared radiation
line spectrum - a spectrum in which energy is concentrated at particular wavelengths; produced by excited atoms and ions as they fall back to a lower energy level
mass spectrum - a distribution of ions as shown by a mass spectrograph or a mass spectrometer
microwave spectrum - the part of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding to microwaves
radio spectrum, radio-frequency spectrum - the entire spectrum of electromagnetic frequencies used for communications; includes frequencies used for radio and radar and television
acoustic spectrum, sound spectrum - the distribution of energy as a function of frequency for a particular sound source
ultraviolet spectrum - the spectrum of ultraviolet radiation
color spectrum, visible spectrum - the distribution of colors produced when light is dispersed by a prism
2.spectrum - a broad range of related objects or values or qualities or ideas or activities
ambit, range, scope, reach, compass, orbit - an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"; "a piano has a greater range than the human voice"; "the ambit of municipal legislation"; "within the compass of this article"; "within the scope of an investigation"; "outside the reach of the law"; "in the political orbit of a world power"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

spectrum

noun range, variety, assortment, series, selection, gamut a wide spectrum of problems
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
سِلْسِلَه، نِطاقطَيْفنِطاق طَيْف الإشْعاعنِطاق مَوجات الصَّوْت
spektrumrejstřík
registerspektrum
hangszínképspektrumszínkép
hljóîróflitróflitróf, skalisÿnilegt litróf
スペクトル分光特性
gamaspektras
apjomsdiapazonsgammaspektrs
spectru
spektrum
dalga kuşağıdizitayfyelpaze

spectrum

[ˈspektrəm]
A. N (spectra (pl)) [ˈspektrə]
1. (= range) → espectro m, gama f
we went through the whole spectrum of emotionsexperimentamos todo el espectro or toda la gama de emociones posibles
a wide spectrum of opinionsun amplio espectro or abanico de opiniones, una amplia gama de opiniones
the political spectrumel espectro político
2. (Phys) → espectro m
B. CPD spectrum analysis Nanálisis m inv espectral
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

spectrum

[ˈspɛktrəm] [spectra] [ˈspɛktrə] (pl) n
[colours] → spectre m
(PHYSICS)spectre m
sound spectrum → spectre sonore
light spectrum → spectre lumineux
(= range) [opinions, experiences, emotions] → éventail m
at the other end of the spectrum, on the other side of the spectrum → de l'autre côté du spectre
across the social spectrum → dans tous les milieux sociaux
the political spectrum → le spectre politique
at both ends of the political spectrum → de part et d'autre du spectre politique
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

spectrum

n pl <spectra> → Spektrum nt; (fig: = range also) → Palette f, → Skala f; spectrum analysisSpektralanalyse f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

spectrum

[ˈspɛktrəm] n (spectra (pl)) (Phys) → spettro (fig) → gamma
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

spectrum

(ˈspektrəm) plurals ˈspectrums ~ˈspectra (-trə) noun
1. the visible spectrum.
2. the full range (of something). The actress's voice was capable of expressing the whole spectrum of emotion.
3. the entire range of radiation of different wavelengths, part of which (the visible spectrum) is normally visible to the naked eye.
4. a similar range of frequencies of sound (the sound spectrum).
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

spec·trum

n. espectro.
1. amplitud en la actividad de un antibiótico contra variedades de microorganismos;
2. serie de imágenes que resultan de la refracción de radiación electromagnética;
3. banda matizada de rayos solares discernibles a simple vista o con un instrumento sensitivo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

spectrum

n (pl -tra) espectro
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
The general blurring and shifting of Fraunhofer's lines of the spectrum point, in my opinion, to a widespread cosmic change of a subtle and singular character.
If it pleases you to believe this rigmarole about ether and Fraunhofer's lines upon the spectrum, do so by all means, but do not ask one who is older and wiser than yourself to share in your folly.
At each end of the solar spectrum the chemist can detect the presence of what are known as 'actinic' rays.
The ultra-violet rays, and other high-velocity and invisible rays from the upper end of the spectrum, rip and tear through their tissues, just as the X-ray ripped and tore through the tissues of so many experimenters before they learned the danger.
Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned, we are still entirely ignorant of the nature of this substance.
She said that everything had colour in her thought; the months of the year ran through all the tints of the spectrum, the days of the week were arrayed as Solomon in his glory, morning was golden, noon orange, evening crystal blue, and night violet.
The persons who constitute the natural aristocracy are not found in the actual aristocracy, or only on its edge; as the chemical energy of the spectrum is found to be greatest just outside of the spectrum.
He watched her pretty and unconscious munching through the skeins of smoke that pervaded the tent, and Tess Durbeyfield did not divine, as she innocently looked down at the roses in her bosom, that there behind the blue narcotic haze was potentially the "tragic mischief" of her drama--one who stood fair to be the blood-red ray in the spectrum of her young life.
But the three zones mingle and amalgamate along the edges, like the colors in the solar spectrum. Hence, complex monuments, edifices of gradation and transition.
The policy further stares that a Spectrum Trading Framework will be developed by the PTA, PEMRA and FAB, and will be subject to policy level approval by Federal Government (Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT).