gamut
[ gam-uht ]
/ ˈgæm ət /
noun
the entire scale or range: the gamut of dramatic emotion from grief to joy.
Music.
- the whole series of recognized musical notes.
- the major scale.
Origin of gamut
1425–75; late Middle English < Medieval Latin; contraction of
gamma ut, equivalent to
gamma, used to represent the first or lowest tone (G) in the medieval scale +
ut (later
do); the notes of the scale (
ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si) being named from a Latin hymn to St. John the Baptist:
Ut queant laxis
resonare fibris.
Mira gestorum
famuli tuorum,
Solve polluti
labii reatum,
Sancte
Iohannes
Words nearby gamut
gamopetalous,
gamophyllous,
gamosepalous,
gamow,
gamp,
gamut,
gamy,
gan,
ganache,
gance,
ganciclovir
Example sentences from the Web for gamut
British Dictionary definitions for gamut
gamut
/ (ˈgæmət) /
noun
entire range or scale, as of emotions
music
- a scale, esp (in medieval theory) one starting on the G on the bottom line of the bass staff
- the whole range of notes
physics
the range of chromaticities that can be obtained by mixing three colours
Word Origin for gamut
C15: from Medieval Latin, changed from
gamma ut, from
gamma, the lowest note of the hexachord as established by Guido d'Arezzo +
ut (now,
doh), the first of the notes of the scale
ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, derived from a Latin hymn to St John:
Ut queant laxis
re sonare fibris,
Mi ra gestorum
fa muli tuorum,
Sol ve polluti
la bi reatum,
S ancte
I ohannes