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bandwidth
[ band-width, -with ]
/ ˈbændˌwɪdθ, -ˌwɪθ /
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noun
Telecommunications. the smallest range of frequencies constituting a band within which a particular signal can be transmitted without distortion.
Digital Technology. the transmission capacity of an electronic communications device or system; the speed of data transfer: a high-bandwidth internet connection.
mental capacity; intelligence: Don't listen to him—he has really low bandwidth.
a person's capacity to handle or think about more than one thing at the same time: He doesn't have the bandwidth to make those kinds of decisions.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Words nearby bandwidth
Bandung, bandura, bandurria, b and w, bandwagon, bandwidth, bandy, bandy-bandy, bandy-legged, bandy legs, Bandywallop
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bandwidth in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bandwidth
bandwidth
/ (ˈbændˌwɪdθ) /
noun
the range of frequencies within a given waveband used for a particular transmission
the range of frequencies over which a receiver or amplifier should not differ by more than a specified amount
the range of frequencies used in a specific telecommunications signal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for bandwidth
bandwidth
[ bănd′wĭdth′, -wĭth′ ]
The numerical difference between the upper and lower frequencies of a band of electromagnetic radiation, especially an assigned range of radio frequencies.
The amount of data that can be passed along a communications channel in a given period of time. For analog devices, such as standard telephones, bandwith is the range of frequencies that can be transmitted and is expressed in hertz (cycles per second). For digital devices, bandwidth is measured in bits per second. The wider the bandwidth, the faster data can be sent.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for bandwidth
bandwidth
The amount of data that can be carried by a digital communication medium, often expressed in hertz.
notes for bandwidth
Within the radio and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum limited bandwidth is available, and in the United States the use of the spectrum is regulated and allocated by the FCC. (See VHF and UHF.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.