Main Entry:

spec·trum

Pronunciation:

\ˈspek-trəm\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural spec·tra \-trə\ or spectrums

Etymology:

New Latin, from Latin, appearance — more at specter

Date:

1671

1 a: a continuum of color formed when a beam of white light is dispersed (as by passage through a prism) so that its component wavelengths are arranged in order b: any of various continua that resemble a color spectrum in consisting of an ordered arrangement by a particular characteristic (as frequency or energy): as (1): electromagnetic spectrum (2): radio spectrum (3): the range of frequencies of sound waves (4): mass spectrum c: the representation (as a plot) of a spectrum2 a: a continuous sequence or range <a wide spectrum of interests> <opposite ends of the political spectrum> b: kinds of organisms associated with a particular situation (as an environment) c: a range of effectiveness against pathogenic organisms <an antibiotic with a broad spectrum>