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spectrum
[ spek-truhm ]
noun
- 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.
spectrum
/ ˈɛٰə /
noun
- 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
spectrum
- 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 × 10 14 and 7.5 × 10 14 hertz.
- The observed distribution of a phenomenon across a range of measurement.
- See more at atomic spectrum
spectrum
- The range of wavelengths characteristic of a specific type of radiation .
Notes
Word History and Origins
Origin of spectrum1
Word History and Origins
Origin of spectrum1
Idioms and Phrases
- 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.
Example Sentences
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth finds himself under fire again — this time from political skeptics or foes across the political spectrum.
For the first two seasons of “VPR,” the two shows would air back-to-back in a two-hour programming block that allowed viewers to traverse metropolitan California’s wealth spectrum.
The rapper, who has been treated for bipolar disorder in the past, announced earlier this year that he had been misdiagnosed and was instead on the autism spectrum.
These include genetic factors; the ever-broadening definition of autism itself, now known as autism spectrum disorder, or ASD; and vastly improved screening programs nationwide.
But according to Mr Vera, the Pope met with people "from the whole political and social spectrum of Argentina".
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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