spectrum
UK: ˈspɛktrəm | US: ˈspɛktrəm
n. a band of colors produced by separation of light (e.g., rainbow or prism effect)
n. a broad range of related qualities or ideas (e.g., political spectrum)
n. (Physics) the distribution of energy emitted by a source (e.g., electromagnetic spectrum)
The word spectrum originated in 17th-century scientific Latin, directly meaning "appearance" or "image." It was coined to describe the visible band of light observed through prisms, tying back to the root spect- ("to see"). Over time, it expanded metaphorically to describe any continuous range (e.g., ideologies, frequencies), retaining the core idea of "making the invisible visible."
Newton used a prism to split sunlight into a spectrum of colors.
The political spectrum ranges from conservative to liberal views.
Astronomers analyze the star’s spectrum to determine its composition.
The debate covered a wide spectrum of opinions.
UV light lies beyond the visible spectrum.