gamut

noun

gam·ut | \ ˈga-mət

Definition of gamut

1 : the whole series of recognized musical notes

2 : an entire range or series ran the gamut from praise to contempt

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about gamut

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Choose the Right Synonym for gamut

range, gamut, compass, sweep, scope, orbit mean the extent that lies within the powers of something (as to cover or control). range is a general term indicating the extent of one's perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities. the entire range of human experience gamut suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another. a performance that ran the gamut of emotions compass implies a sometimes limited extent of perception, knowledge, or activity. your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study sweep suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity. the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity scope is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible. as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened orbit suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation. within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change

Did You Know?

To get the lowdown on gamut, we have to dive to the bottom of a musical scale developed by 11th-century musician and monk Guido of Arezzo. Guido called the first line of his bass staff gamma and the first note in his scale ut, which meant that gamma ut was the term for a note written on the first staff line. In time, gamma ut underwent a shortening to gamut but climbed the scale of meaning. It expanded to cover all the notes of Guido's scale, then all the notes in the range of an instrument, and, eventually, an entire range of any sort.

Examples of gamut in a Sentence

She experienced the full gamut of human emotions. the actress's work runs the gamut from goofy comedies to serious historical dramas

Recent Examples on the Web

Much like their reactions to DeDe's death, the comments this time around ran the gamut of approving to disappointed. — Allie Gemmill, Teen Vogue, ""Modern Family" Revealed Major News for Sarah Hyland's Character Haley," 8 Nov. 2018 These games also run the gamut of rendering engines, including popular engines like Unreal and smaller-fry options like Dead Cells' fork of Heaps. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Nintendo’s promised cloud saves on Switch won’t work for every game [Updated]," 7 Sep. 2018 Besides the fact that our bodies have various systems that keep our blood pH regulated, our gastrointestinal tract in particular was basically made to cope with foods and liquids that run the gamut of the pH scale. — SELF, "What Even Is Alkaline Water and Is It Really Better Than Regular Water?," 6 Sep. 2018 Fillings run the gamut from a wintry mix of venison and pickled walnuts to summer simmers of poultry and herbs. — Jay Cheshes, WSJ, "Where to Find London’s Premium Pies," 23 Jan. 2019 Balfe runs the gamut from caring to angry, frightened, tough, needy and joyful. — Outlander Fan, Marie Claire, "5 Biggest Takeaways From 'Outlander' Season 4 Episode 5," 3 Dec. 2018 The sweet treats run the gamut from traditional fillings such as poppyseed, prune and rose petal to pina colada and mocha. — Laura Demarco, cleveland.com, "Paczki Day celebrated with Hough Bakery-inspired treats and polka in Parma (photos)," 13 Feb. 2018 The reasons run the gamut from an increase in competition from startups to the rise of bralettes to the fact that malls are dying. — Rebecca Jennings, Vox, "The stubborn irrelevance of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show," 8 Nov. 2018 The truth is Filipino people run the gamut from light skin to dark skin and everything in between. — Jessica Andrews, Teen Vogue, "Kelsey Merritt on Making History as the First Filipino Model at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," 8 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gamut.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.