Word
gamut
US/ˈɡæmət/
UK/ɡˈæmʌt/
Definitions
01a complete range
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. the entire range of something, especially feelings or experiences.
n. the full scope or extent of something, frequently used in the phrase 'run the gamut'.
Español:gama
“Her performance in the movie ran the gamut from deep sadness to pure joy.”
“The public's reaction to the new policy ran the gamut from mild confusion to outright hostility, forcing the council to reconsider their approach.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the idiom 'run the gamut from X to Y'.
02color range
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. the full set of colors that a computer screen or printer can produce.
n. the entire range of colors that can be represented or reproduced by a specific device or within a given color space.
“This professional monitor has a wider color gamut than a standard office screen.”
“Photographers often prefer printers with an expanded gamut to ensure that the vibrant hues of their digital files are accurately captured on paper.”
03musical scale
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Music Technical · Archaic
n. the whole series of musical notes that a voice or instrument can make.
n. the full range of notes in a musical system or the compass of a specific voice or instrument.
“The singer's impressive voice covered the entire gamut of the scale.”
“The composition was designed to exploit the full gamut of the cello, requiring the soloist to move rapidly between the lowest and highest registers.”
Teaching tip
This is the original historical meaning of the word, but it is less common today than the general sense of 'range'.
Real-World Examples
“Transfer deadline day may be “exciting for everyone”, as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall puts it, but his experience of that transfer deadline day at Everton hauled him through the same gamut of emotions as every Evertonian.” “The models run the gamut, from former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants to cosplayers .” Etymology
1520s, original sense “lowest note of musical scale”, contraction of Medieval Latin gamma ut, from gamma (“Greek letter, corresponding to the musical note G”) + ut (“first solfège syllable, now replaced by do”). In modern terms, “G do” – the first note of the G scale. Meaning later extended to mean all the notes of a scale, and then more generally any complete range.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. run the gamut
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/gamut
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0