spacer

noun

spac·​er ˈspā-sər 

plural spacers

: a device or piece used to create or maintain a desired amount of space (as between two parts)

As long as your joints look even, it's more important that you avoid a large grout line at the last tile than worry about sticking to the exact measurement of the spacer.

—Jennifer Stimpson

Stiff spacers of low-expansion materials … may be used to provide a fixed spacing between the end mirrors.

—Arthur L. Schawlow

Use wood shims or spacers where necessary to compensate for wavy ceilings and to make certain the bottom surfaces of all strips are flush.

—Bernard Gladstone

Examples of spacer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The mixing vane grids serve as structural components that replace standard spacer grids, providing both mechanical support and active coolant management. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026

Johnson has manned Anunoby for most of the series, but the Knicks use the All-Defensive wing as a spacer in the corner, keeping him out of most primary actions. —Fred Katz, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Rather than pouring all your soil directly into the container, start with a layer of ‘spacers,’ such as broken ceramics or large rocks. —Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026

But for all of his impact as the team’s top perimeter defender and one of its best floor-spacers, his absence will also be equally felt in the locker room. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spacer

• acer
• baser
• chaser
• pacer
• racer
• tracer
• eraser
• replacer
• radiotracer

Medical Definition

spacer

noun

spac·​er ˈspā-sər 

: a region of chromosomal DNA between genes that is not transcribed into messenger RNA and is of uncertain function