space — English Dictionary

space
Pronunciations (2)
  • /speɪs/
  • speɪs

Noun

  1. Unlimited or generalized extent, physical or otherwise. The distance between objects.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Synonyms
    Examples

    But neere him, thy Angell / Becomes a feare: as being o're-powr'd, therefore / Make ſpace enough betweene you.

    More examples (1)

    Which means that for every car there was 10 years ago, there are now 40. Which means - and this is my own, not totally scientific, calculation - that the space between cars on the roads in 1991 was roughly 39 car lengths, because today there is no space at all.

  2. Unlimited or generalized extent, physical or otherwise. A physical extent across two or three dimensions (sometimes for or to do something).

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Synonyms
    Examples

    O God, I could be bounded in a nutſhell, and / count my ſelfe a King of infinite ſpace; were it not that / I haue bad dreames.

    They also wanted a larger garden and more space for home working.

  3. Unlimited or generalized extent, physical or otherwise. A physical extent in all directions, seen as an attribute of the universe (now usually considered as a part of space-time), or a mathematical model of this.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    Space is the Phantasme of a Thing existing without the Mind simply.

    More examples (2)

    These are not questions which can be decided by reference to our space intuitions, for our intuitions are confined to Euclidean space, and even there are insufficient, approximative.

    The early results from Gravity Probe B, one of Nasa's most complicated satellites, confirmed yesterday 'to a precision of better than 1 per cent' the assertion Einstein made 90 years ago - that an object such as the Earth does indeed distort the fabric of space and time.

  4. Unlimited or generalized extent, physical or otherwise. The near-vacuum in which planets, stars and other celestial objects are situated; the universe beyond the earth's atmosphere.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Synonyms
    Examples

    the first man in space

    More examples (1)

    How firſt began this Heav'n which we behold / Diſtant ſo high, with moving Fires adornd / Innumerable, and this which yeelds or fills / All ſpace, the ambient Aire wide interfus'd / Imbracing round this florid Earth, […]

    After all, to go into outer space is not so much worse, if at all, than a polar expedition.

    More examples (1)

    The human race must colonise space within the next two centuries or it will become extinct, Stephen Hawking warned today.

  5. Unlimited or generalized extent, physical or otherwise. The physical and psychological area one needs within which to live or operate; personal freedom.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    Around the time of my parents' divorce, I learned that reading could also give me space.

    "I care about you Billy, whether you believe it or not; but right now I need my space."

  6. Of time. Free time; leisure, opportunity.

    Usage
    • Archaic
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    Come on, thou are granted ſpace.

    In two days hence / The Judge of life and death aſcends his ſeat. / —This will afford him ſpace to reach the camp[…].

  7. Of time. A specific (specified) period of time.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Synonyms
    Examples

    I pray you, sirs, to take some cheers the while I go for a moment's space to my poor afflicted child.

    The match was lost, though, in the space of just twenty minutes or so.

    More examples (1)

    But their lead lasted just 10 minutes before Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe both headed home in the space of two minutes to wrestle back control.

  8. Of time. An undefined period of time (without qualifier, especially a short period); a while.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Synonyms
    Examples

    Even Comrade Butt cast off his gloom for a space and immersed his whole being in scrambled eggs.

  9. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A (chiefly empty) area or volume with set limits or boundaries; (architecture) such a space inside or outside a building, often with a specified use.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    exhibition space; public space; the space is light-filled

    More examples (1)

    Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,[…]. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.

    The street door was open, and we entered a narrow space with washing facilities, curtained off from the courtyard.

    More examples (1)

    Converted from vast chambers beneath the old Bankside Power Station which once held a million gallons of oil, the new public areas consist of two large circular spaces for performances and film installations, plus a warren of smaller rooms.

  10. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A position on the staff or stave bounded by lines.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    The note next above Sol is La; La, therefore, stands in the 2nd space; Si, on the 3rd line, &c.

    The lines and spaces of the staff are named according to the first seven letters of the alphabet, that is, A B C D E F G.

  11. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A gap in text between words, lines etc., or a digital character used to create such a gap.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Broader terms
    Examples

    According to experts, a single line of text should rarely exceed about 50 characters (including letters and all the spaces between words).

    It should be typed a space below the salutation : Dear Sir, Subject : Replacement of defective items.

  12. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A piece of metal type used to separate words, cast lower than other type so as not to take ink, especially one that is narrower than one en (compare quad).

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Synonyms
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    If it be only a Single Letter or two that drops, he thruſts the end of his Bodkin between every Letter of that Word, till he comes to a Space: and then perhaps by forcing thoſe Letters closer, he may have room to put in another Space or a Thin Space; which if he cannot do, and he finds the Space ſtand Looſe in the Form; he with the Point of his Bodkin picks the Space up and bows it a little; which bowing makes the Letters on each ſide of the Space keep their parallel diſtance; for by its Spring it thruſts the Letters that were cloſed with the end of the Bodkin to their adjunct Letters, that needed no cloſing.

    Horizontal spacing is further divided into multiples and fractions of the em. The multiples are called quads. The fractions are called spaces.

    Other larger spaces – known as quads – were used to space out lines.

  13. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A gap; an empty place.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    Mainstream Hollywood would not cater to the taste for sexual sensation, which left a space for B-movies, including noir.

    A horizontal scar filled the space on her chest where her right breast used to be.

  14. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A set of points, each of which is uniquely specified by a number (the dimensionality) of coordinates.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
  15. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A generalized construct or set whose members have some property in common; typically there will be a geometric metaphor allowing these members to be viewed as “points”. Often used with a restricting modifier describing the members (e.g. vector space), or indicating the inventor of the construct (e.g. Hilbert space).

    Usage
    • Countable
    Examples

    Functional analysis is best approached through a sound knowledge of Hilbert space theory.

  16. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. A field, area, or sphere of activity or endeavour.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Figurative
    Examples

    innovation in the browser space

    More examples (2)

    CNBC has shown a greater commitment to the crypto space than most other mainstream outlets, providing daily updates on bitcoin or other very large cryptocurrencies.

    [T]hey became responsible for managing aspects of civilian labour in the medical space, and their roles were contrasted with those of the female physiotherapists in the hospital.

  17. A bounded or specific extent, physical or otherwise. Anything analogous to a physical space in which one can interact, such as an online chat room.

    Usage
    • Countable
    • Uncountable
    Examples

    Communication in Internet chat spaces allows participants to communicate so freely in the relative safety of anonymity that they forget their privacy.

Verb

  1. To roam, walk, wander.

    Usage
    • Intransitive
    • Obsolete
    Examples

    But she as Fayes are wont, in priuie place / Did spend her dayes, and lov'd in forests wyld to space.

  2. To set some distance apart.

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    Faye had spaced the pots at 8-inch intervals on the windowsill.

    The cities are evenly spaced.

  3. To insert or utilise spaces in a written text.

    Examples

    This paragraph seems badly spaced.

  4. To space out (become distracted, lose focus).

    Examples

    My sprout, like I'm totally spaced over you and besides I like older women (arh-arh). I love you...

  5. To kill (someone) by ejection into outer space, usually without a space suit.

    Usage
    • Transitive
    Examples

    The captain spaced the traitors.

    More examples (1)

    Sound effect of blow with blunt instrument, groan, and the unmistakable cycling of an air lock—Castor: "Sorry, folks. My assistant has just spaced Mr. Rudolf. […]"

    A lot of people make jokes about spacing somebody, about shoving somebody out an airlock. I don't think it's funny. Never will.

  6. To travel into and through outer space.

    Usage
    • Intransitive
    Examples
    More examples (1)

    He well remembered, when he was a junior officer, how the sight of a well dressed, impeccably neat commanding officer, no matter how long they had been spacing, maintained the enthusiasm, confidence and morale of the officers and men.

Noun

  1. the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
    Examples

    they tested his ability to locate objects in space

    the boundless regions of the infinite

  2. an empty area (usually bounded in some way between things)

    Examples

    the architect left space in front of the building

    they stopped at an open space in the jungle

    More examples (1)

    the space between his teeth

  3. an area reserved for some particular purpose

    Broader terms
    Examples

    the laboratory's floor space

  4. any location outside the Earth's atmosphere

    Synonyms
    Broader terms
    Examples

    the astronauts walked in outer space without a tether

    the first major milestone in space exploration was in 1957, when the USSR's Sputnik 1 orbited the Earth

  5. a blank character used to separate successive words in writing or printing

    Synonyms
    Examples

    he said the space is the most important character in the alphabet

  6. the interval between two times

    Synonyms
    Examples

    the distance from birth to death

    it all happened in the space of 10 minutes

  7. a blank area

    Examples

    write your name in the space provided

  8. one of the areas between or below or above the lines of a musical staff

    Examples

    the spaces are the notes F-A-C-E

  9. (printing) a block of type without a raised letter; used for spacing between words or sentences

    Synonyms
    Broader terms

Verb

  1. place at intervals

    Examples

    Space the interviews so that you have some time between the different candidates

Word forms
spacesspacesspacingspacedspaced

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