gamut

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
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 Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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]
    
from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
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)
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
78 Moby Thesaurus words for "gamut":
      Indian file, array, articulation, bank, buzz, carry, catena,
      catenation, chain, chain reaction, chaining, chromatic scale,
      compass, concatenation, connection, consecution, continuum, course,
      cycle, descent, diapason, dodecuple scale, drone, endless belt,
      endless round, enharmonic scale, field, file, filiation, gradation,
      great scale, hum, line, lineage, major scale, melodic minor,
      minor scale, monotone, nexus, octave scale, pendulum,
      pentatonic scale, periodicity, plenum, powder train, progression,
      queue, radius, range, rank, reach, recurrence, register,
      reticulation, rotation, round, routine, row, run, scale, scope,
      sequence, series, single file, spectrum, spread, stretch, string,
      succession, swath, sweep, temperament, thread, tier, train, tuning,
      whole-tone scale, windrow

    

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