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- DictionarySpec·trum/ˈspektrəm/
noun
- 1. a band of colors, as seen in a rainbow, produced by separation of the components of light by their different degrees of refraction according to wavelength.
- 2. used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points: "the left or the right of the political spectrum"
Our modern definition of spectrum started out in the 1600s, when scientists used it to refer to the band of colors formed by a beam of light, like a rainbow. In physics, it’s a word that describes the distribution of something, like energy or atomic particles.
1 day ago · 1. singular noun. The spectrum is the range of different colours which is produced when light passes through a glass prism or through a drop of water. A rainbow shows the colours in the spectrum. 2. countable noun [usually singular] A spectrum is a range of a particular type of thing.
Spectrum definition: an array of entities, as light waves or particles, ordered in accordance with the magnitudes of a common physical property, as wavelength or mass. See examples of SPECTRUM used in a sentence.
A spectrum (pl.: spectra or spectrums) is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word spectrum was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light after passing through a prism .
Definition of spectrum noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Definition of spectrum – Learner’s Dictionary. spectrum. noun [ C ] uk/ˈspektrəm/uspluralspectra. spectrumnoun[C] (ALL POSSIBILITIES) all the different ideas, opinions, possibilities, etc that exist: He has support from across the whole political spectrum. Want to learn more? Improve your vocabulary with English Vocabulary in Use from Cambridge.
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.
