gamut

gamut
Scale Scale, n. [L. scalae, pl., scala staircase, ladder; akin to scandere to climb. See {Scan}; cf. {Escalade}.] 1. A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

2. Hence, anything graduated, especially when employed as a measure or rule, or marked by lines at regular intervals. Specifically: (a) A mathematical instrument, consisting of a slip of wood, ivory, or metal, with one or more sets of spaces graduated and numbered on its surface, for measuring or laying off distances, etc., as in drawing, plotting, and the like. See {Gunter's scale}. (b) A series of spaces marked by lines, and representing proportionately larger distances; as, a scale of miles, yards, feet, etc., for a map or plan. (c) A basis for a numeral system; as, the decimal scale; the binary scale, etc. (d) (Mus.) The graduated series of all the tones, ascending or descending, from the keynote to its octave; -- called also the {gamut}. It may be repeated through any number of octaves. See {Chromatic scale}, {Diatonic scale}, {Major scale}, and {Minor scale}, under {Chromatic}, {Diatonic}, {Major}, and {Minor}. [1913 Webster]

3. Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order; as, a scale of being. [1913 Webster]

There is a certain scale of duties . . . which for want of studying in right order, all the world is in confusion. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

4. Relative dimensions, without difference in proportion of parts; size or degree of the parts or components in any complex thing, compared with other like things; especially, the relative proportion of the linear dimensions of the parts of a drawing, map, model, etc., to the dimensions of the corresponding parts of the object that is represented; as, a map on a scale of an inch to a mile. [1913 Webster]

{Scale of chords}, a graduated scale on which are given the lengths of the chords of arcs from 0[deg] to 90[deg] in a circle of given radius, -- used in measuring given angles and in plotting angles of given numbers of degrees. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • gamut — In music, gamut properly means ‘the note G at the pitch now indicated by the lowest line of the bass staff’. (The word is formed from medieval Latin gamma (= the note G) + ut, the first of six arbitrary names forming the hexachord (ut, re, mi, fa …   Modern English usage

  • gamut — ► NOUN 1) the complete range or scope of something. 2) Music a complete scale of musical notes; the compass or range of a voice or instrument. 3) historical a scale consisting of seven overlapping hexachords, containing all the recognized notes… …   English terms dictionary

  • gamut — 1520s, originally, lowest note in the medieval musical scale, in the system of notation devised by Guido d Arezzo, contraction of M.L. gamma ut, from gamma, the Greek letter, indicating a note below A, + ut (later do), the low note on the six… …   Etymology dictionary

  • gamut — gàmut m DEFINICIJA sav raspon čega (boja, tonova i sl.) [gamut dramatičnih osjećaja od tuge do veselja] ETIMOLOGIJA srlat. gamma ut ≃ gamma: prvi ili najniži ton na srednjovjekovnoj glazbenoj ljestvici + ut: do …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • gamut — [gam′ət] n. [ML gamma ut < gamma, the gamut, name used by GUIDO D AREZZO for the lowest note of his scale (< Gr gamma, GAMMA) + ut < L ut, that, used as a musical note, taken from a medieval song whose phrases began on successive… …   English World dictionary

  • Gamut — Gam ut, n. [F. gamme + ut the name of a musical note. F. gamme is fr. the name of the Greek letter ?, which was used by Guido d Arezzo to represent the first note of his model scale. See {Gamma}, and {Ut}.] (Mus.) The scale. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gamut — I noun breadth, circuit, compass, complete sequence, complete series, extent, length, limit, progression, range, reach, scope, span, stretch, sweep, vastness, whole range, width II index range Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Gamut —   [dt. »Tonleiter«, »(Farb )Skala«], im Bereich der Computergrafik derjenige Teil aller Farbtöne, den ein Ausgabegerät (Bildschirm, Drucker) darstellen kann …   Universal-Lexikon

  • gamut — *range, reach, radius, compass, sweep, scope, orbit, horizon, ken, purview …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • gamut — [n] range area, catalogue, compass, diapason, extent, field, panorama, scale, scope, series, spectrum, sweep; concepts 651,788 …   New thesaurus

  • Gamut — This article is about color gamut. For other uses, see Gamut (disambiguation). A typical CRT gamut. The grayed out horseshoe shape is the entire range of possible chromaticities, displayed in the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram format (see below).… …   Wikipedia

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