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space

Syllabification: (space)
Pronunciation: /spās/
Translate space | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of space

noun

  • 1a continuous area or expanse that is free, available, or unoccupied:a table took up much of the space we shall all be living together in a small space the space between a wall and a utility pipe he backed out of the parking space
  • an area of land that is not occupied by buildings:she had a love of open spaces
  • a blank between printed, typed, or written words, characters, numbers, etc..
  • Music each of the four gaps between the five lines of a staff.
  • an interval of time (often used to suggest that the time is short, considering what has happened or been achieved in it):both their cars were stolen in the space of three days
  • pages in a newspaper, or time between television or radio programs, available for advertising.
  • (also commercial space) an area rented or sold as business premises.
  • the amount of paper used or needed to write about a subject:there is no space to give further details
  • the freedom and scope to live, think, and develop in a way that suits one:a teenager needing her own space
  • Telecommunications one of two possible states of a signal in certain systems. The opposite of mark1 (sense 2 of the noun).
  • 2the dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move:the work gives the sense of a journey in space and time
  • (also outer space) the physical universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere.
  • the near vacuum extending between the planets and stars, containing small amounts of gas and dust.
  • Mathematics a mathematical concept generally regarded as a set of points having some specified structure.

verb

  • 1 [with object] (usually be spaced) position (two or more items) at a distance from one another:the houses are spaced out
  • (in printing or writing) put blanks between (words, letters, or lines): (as noun spacing)the default setting is single line spacing
  • 2 (usually be spaced out or space out) informal be or become distracted, euphoric, or disoriented, especially from taking drugs; cease to be aware of one’s surroundings:I was so tired that I began to feel totally spaced out I kind of space out for a few minutes

Phrases

watch this space

informal further developments are expected and more information will be given later.

Derivatives

spacer

noun

Origin:

Middle English: shortening of Old French espace, from Latin spatium. Current verb senses date from the late 17th century

space in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of space in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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