spectrum

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Science

n. the set of colours you see when light passes through a prism, like a rainbow.

n. the distribution of colors produced when light is dispersed by a prism or similar device.

“A prism breaks white light into the visible spectrum of colours.”

“Astronomers analyze the star's light spectrum to determine its chemical composition and temperature.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Psychology

n. a way of describing a range of conditions, especially autism, that affect how people think and behave.

n. a range of conditions or symptoms, specifically used to describe the variety of ways autism manifests in individuals.

“Because autism is a spectrum, every person has different strengths and challenges.”

“Clinicians now recognize that these behaviors exist on a spectrum rather than being distinct, unrelated disorders.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Technical

n. a special set of numbers related to a square grid of numbers called a matrix.

n. the set of eigenvalues of a matrix or, more generally, of a bounded linear operator.

“The professor asked us to calculate the spectrum of the given matrix.”

“In functional analysis, the spectrum of an operator generalizes the concept of eigenvalues for finite-dimensional matrices.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary

n. an old word for a ghost or a strange vision.

n. a phantom, ghost, or apparition; the Latin root of the modern word.

“The old story spoke of a spectrum that haunted the castle halls.”

“The poet described a pale spectrum rising from the mist, a lingering shadow of a forgotten era.”