spectroscopy

[ spek-tros-kuh-pee, spek-truh-skoh-pee ]

noun
  1. the science that deals with the use of the spectroscope and with spectrum analysis.

Origin of spectroscopy

1
First recorded in 1865–70; spectro- + -scopy

Other words from spectroscopy

  • spec·tros·co·pist [spek-tros-kuh-pist], /spɛkˈtrɒs kə pɪst/, noun

Words Nearby spectroscopy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spectroscopy in a sentence

  • One of the most fruitful fields for this instrument is undoubtedly stellar spectroscopy.

    Photographs of Nebul and Clusters | James Edward Keeler
  • Oscar Brasch has within the last few years studied spectroscopy in relation to the alkaloids and organic poisons.

    Poisons: Their Effects and Detection | Alexander Wynter Blyth
  • It is to Sir William Huggins, however, that we are indebted for the application of the principle to spectroscopy.

    Astronomy of To-day | Cecil G. Dolmage
  • In the earliest days of spectroscopy the spectra of the stars were classified according to their visual spectra.

    Lectures on Stellar Statistics | Carl Vilhelm Ludvig Charlier
  • The basis of spectroscopy is the prism, which separates sunlight into seven colors and projects a band of light called a spectrum.

British Dictionary definitions for spectroscopy

spectroscopy

/ (spɛkˈtrɒskəpɪ) /


noun
  1. the science and practice of using spectrometers and spectroscopes and of analysing spectra, the methods employed depending on the radiation being examined. The techniques are widely used in chemical analysis and in studies of the properties of atoms, molecules, ions, etc

Derived forms of spectroscopy

  • spectroscopist, noun

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 spectroscopy

spectroscopy

[ spĕk-trŏskə-pē ]


  1. The analysis of spectra, especially light or mass spectra, to determine properties of their source.♦ In light or optical spectroscopy, the spectrum of a light source is analyzed through a spectroscope to determine atomic composition of a substance. In astronomy, phenomena such as red shift can also be analyzed.♦ In mass spectroscopy, a spectroscope is used to determine the composition of ions or charged molecules in a sample. Spectroscopy is also called spectrography. See also atomic spectrum spectroscope.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for spectroscopy

spectroscopy

[ (spek-tros-kuh-pee) ]


The branch of science devoted to discovering the chemical composition of materials by looking at the light (and other kinds of electromagnetic radiation) they emit. Scientists use spectroscopy to determine the nature of distant stars and galaxies as well as to identify and monitor the production of products in factories.

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.