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gamut

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gamut

 

  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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.] 
 
  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}. 
 
  3.  Gradation;  succession  of  ascending  and  descending  steps 
  and  degrees;  progressive  series;  scheme  of  comparative 
  rank  or  order  as  a  scale  of  being 
 
  There  is  a  certain  scale  of  duties  .  .  .  which  for 
  want  of  studying  in  right  order  all  the  world  is  in 
  confusion.  --Milton. 
 
  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. 
 
  {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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  gamut 
  n  1:  a  complete  extent  or  range:  "a  face  that  expressed  a  gamut 
  of  emotions 
  2:  the  entire  scale  of  musical  notes 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  gamut 
 
  The  gamut  of  a  {monitor}  is  the  set  of  colours  it  can  display. 
  There  are  some  colours  which  can't  be  made  up  of  a  mixture  of 
  red,  green  and  blue  phosphor  emissions  and  so  can't  be 
  displayed  by  any  monitor. 
 
  [Examples?] 
 
  (1994-11-29)




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