Added 9 October 2026
spectrum
/ˈspɛktɹəm/ noun
Latin root: spectrum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about spectrum at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A range; a continuous, infinite, one-dimensional set, possibly bounded by extremes.
- Specifically, a range of colours representing light (electromagnetic radiation) of contiguous frequencies; hence electromagnetic spectrum, visible spectrum, ultraviolet spectrum, etc. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
- The autism spectrum.
Origin
From Latin spectrum (“appearance, image, apparition”), from speciō (“look at, view”). Doublet of specter. See also scope.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)