Word Meanings - SPECTRUM - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. An apparition; a specter. The several colored and other rays of which light is composed, separated by the refraction of a prism or other means, and observed or studied either as spread out on a screen, by direct vision, by photography,

Additional info about word: SPECTRUM

1. An apparition; a specter. The several colored and other rays of which light is composed, separated by the refraction of a prism or other means, and observed or studied either as spread out on a screen, by direct vision, by photography, or otherwise. See Illust. of Light, and Spectroscope. A luminous appearance, or an image seen after the eye has been exposed to an intense light or a strongly illuminated object. When the object is colored, the image appears of the complementary color, as a green image seen after viewing a red wafer lying on white paper. Called also ocular spectrum. Absorption spectrum, the spectrum of light which has passed through a medium capable of absorbing a portion of the rays. It is characterized by dark spaces, bands, or lines. -- Chemical spectrum, a spectrum of rays considered solely with reference to their chemical effects, as in photography. These, in the usual photogrophic methods, have their maximum influence at and beyond the violet rays, but are not limited to this region. -- Chromatic spectrum, the visible colored rays of the solar spectrum, exhibiting the seven principal colors in their order, and covering the central and larger portion of the space of the whole spectrum. -- Continous spectrum, a spectrum not broken by bands or lines, but having the colors shaded into each other continously, as that from an incandescent solid or liquid, or a gas under high pressure. -- Diffraction spectrum, a spectrum produced by diffraction, as by a grating. -- Gaseous spectrum, the spectrum of an incandesoent gas or vapor, under moderate, or especially under very low, pressure. It is characterized by bright bands or lines. -- Normal spectrum, a representation of a spectrum arranged upon conventional plan adopted as standard, especially a spectrum in which the colors are spaced proportionally to their wave lengths, as when formed by a diffraction grating. -- Ocular spectrum. See Spectrum, 2 , above. -- Prismatic spectrum, a spectrum produced by means of a prism. -- Solar spectrum, the spectrum of solar light, especially as thrown upon a screen in a darkened room. It is characterized by numerous dark lines called Fraunhofer lines. -- Spectrum analysis, chemical analysis effected by comparison of the different relative positions and qualities of the fixed lines of spectra produced by flames in which different substances are burned or evaporated, each substance having its own characteristic system of lines. -- Thermal spectrum, a spectrum of rays considered solely with reference to their heating effect, especially of those rays which produce no luminous phenomena.

Related words: (words related to SPECTRUM)

• COLORMAN
  A vender of paints, etc. Simmonds.
• SEPARATISM
  The character or act of a separatist; disposition to withdraw from a church; the practice of so withdrawing.
• COMPOSITOUS
  Belonging to the Compositæ; composite. Darwin.
• SPREADINGLY
  , adv. Increasingly. The best times were spreadingly infected. Milton.
• DIRECT CURRENT
  A current flowing in one direction only; -- distinguished from alternating current. When steady and not pulsating a direct current is often called a continuous current. A direct induced current, or momentary current of the same direction as the
• LIGHT
  licht, OHG. lioht, Goth. liuhap, Icel. lj, L. lux light, lucere to 1. That agent, force, or action in nature by the operation of which upon the organs of sight, objects are rendered visible or luminous. Note: Light was regarded formerly
• DIRECTER
  One who directs; a director. Directer plane , the plane to which all right-lined elements in a warped surface are parallel.
• SCREENINGS
  The refuse left after screening sand, coal, ashes, etc.
• VISIONARY
  1. Of or pertaining to a visions or visions; characterized by, appropriate to, or favorable for, visions. The visionary hour When musing midnight reigns. Thomson. 2. Affected by phantoms; disposed to receive impressions on the imagination; given
• OTHERGUISE; OTHERGUESS
  Of another kind or sort; in another way. "Otherguess arguments." Berkeley.
• LIGHTSOME
  1. Having light; lighted; not dark or gloomy; bright. White walls make rooms more lightsome than black. Bacon. 2. Gay; airy; cheering; exhilarating. That lightsome affection of joy. Hooker. -- Light"some*ly, adv. -- Light"some*ness, n. Happiness
• OBSERVANCY
  Observance.
• LIGHTNESS
  The state, condition, or quality, of being light or not heavy; buoyancy; levity; fickleness; delicacy; grace. Syn. -- Levity; volatility; instability; inconstancy; unsteadiness; giddiness; flightiness; airiness; gayety; liveliness; agility;
• LIGHT-ARMED
  Armed with light weapons or accouterments.
• COMPOSURE
  1. The act of composing, or that which is composed; a composition. Signor Pietro, who had an admirable way both of composure and teaching. Evelyn. 2. Orderly adjustment; disposition. Various composures and combinations of these corpuscles.
• SEPARATIVE
  Causing, or being to cause, separation. "Separative virtue of extreme cold." Boyle.
• COMPOSSIBLE
  Able to exist with another thing; consistent. Chillingworth.
• PRISM
  A solid whose bases or ends are any similar, equal, and parallel plane figures, and whose sides are parallelograms. Note: Prisms of different forms are often named from the figure of their bases; as, a triangular prism, a quadrangular
• DIRECT ACTION
  See BELOW
• DIRECT NOMINATION
  The nomination or designation of candidates for public office by direct popular vote rather than through the action of a convention or body of elected nominating representatives or delegates. The term is applied both to the nomination of candidates
• INDECOMPOSABLENESS
  Incapableness of decomposition; stability; permanence; durability.
• NOTOTHERIUM
  An extinct genus of gigantic herbivorous marsupials, found in the Pliocene formation of Australia.
• LITHOPHOTOGRAPHY
  See PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY
• SLIGHTNESS
  The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.
• DELIGHTING
  Giving delight; gladdening. -- De*light"ing*ly, adv. Jer. Taylor.
• INSEPARATE
  Not separate; together; united. Shak.
• ISOGEOTHERMAL; ISOGEOTHERMIC
  Pertaining to, having the nature of, or marking, isogeotherms; as, an isogeothermal line or surface; as isogeothermal chart. -- n.
• CONCOLOR
  Of the same color; of uniform color. "Concolor animals." Sir T. Browne.
• SMOTHER
  Etym: 1. To destroy the life of by suffocation; to deprive of the air necessary for life; to cover up closely so as to prevent breathing; to suffocate; as, to smother a child. 2. To affect as by suffocation; to stife; to deprive of air by a thick
• DRUMMOND LIGHT
  A very intense light, produced by turning two streams of gas, one oxygen and the other hydrogen, or coal gas, in a state of ignition, upon a ball of lime; or a stream of oxygen gas through a flame of alcohol upon a ball or disk of lime; -- called
• DIPRISMATIC
  Doubly prismatic.
• ISOTHEROMBROSE
  A line connecting or marking points on the earth's surface, which have the same mean summer rainfall.