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spectrum

Pronunciation: /ˈspɛktrəm/

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Definition of spectrum

noun (plural spectra /-trə/ or spectrums)

  • 1a band of colours, as seen in a rainbow, produced by separation of the components of light by their different degrees of refraction according to wavelength.
  • (the spectrum) the entire range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.
  • a characteristic series of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by a substance.
  • the components of a sound or other phenomenon arranged according to such characteristics as frequency, charge, and energy.
  • 2used to classify something in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme points:the left or the right of the political spectrum
  • a wide range:self-help books are covering a broader and broader spectrum

Origin:

early 17th century (in the sense 'spectre'): from Latin, literally 'image, apparition', from specere 'to look'

Spelling help

Make the plural of spectrum by changing the -um ending to -a (as in Latin) or by adding an -s.

spectrum in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of spectrum in the US English dictionary

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