dead space

noun

: the portion of the respiratory system which is external to the bronchioles and through which air must pass to reach the bronchioles and alveoli

Examples of dead space in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In between those two layers is dead space designed to minimize heat or cold transfer from the inner layer to the outer layer. Medea Giordano, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024 The inner screen doesn't have a hole in the display for the camera and instead opts for the old-school layout of shrinking the screen to make room for a camera above the screen and then extending that dead space across the top of the phone. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 24 Apr. 2023 Limiting the bottom dock to six icons in tablet mode is also strange because the whole tablet home screen is 10 or eight icon-spots wide, so there are dead spaces to the left and right of the dock in tablet mode. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 13 July 2023 Utilize these corners with a bistro dining set or small bench to avoid dead space. Kaylei Fear, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2023 Maximize space with a bookshelf built for taking advantage of a room’s dead space. Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Nov. 2023 Meanwhile, the city has spent at least $15 million to assemble the land, creating acres of dead space in one of the city’s oldest Black neighborhoods. Giacomo Bologna, Baltimore Sun, 20 Sep. 2023 His vision was locked on dead space, Slesicki testified. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2023 Base cabinets and open shelves for storage and display wrap an awkward wall, taking advantage of what could have easily been dead space. Marni Elyse Katz, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dead space.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dead space was circa 1923

Dictionary Entries Near dead space

Cite this Entry

“Dead space.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20space. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

dead space

noun
1
: space in the respiratory system in which air does not undergo significant gaseous exchange see anatomical dead space, physiological dead space
2
: a space (as that in the chest following excision of a lung) left in the body as the result of a surgical procedure
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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