From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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 [gcide]:
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.
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There is a certain scale of duties . . . which for
want of studying in right order, all the world is in
confusion. --Milton.
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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 WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
gamut
n 1: a complete extent or range: "a face that expressed a gamut
of emotions"
2: the entire scale of musical notes
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