headspace

head·space | \ ˈhed-ˌspās

Definition of headspace

1 : the volume above a liquid or solid in a closed container The demonstrator suggests that the slow leakage of hydrogen from the balloons … allowed for the accumulation of hydrogen and oxygen in the bag's headspace. — Chemical and Engineering News To process sauce, immediately ladle hot sauce into hot, clean half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. — Better Homes and Gardens

2 : vertical space in which to stand, sit, or move : headroom The sleeping area [of a tiny house] looks restful and thanks to the curved roof, probably has more headspace than most …— Kimberly Mok

3 informal : mind-set, frame of mind "It's difficult to tell how people have changed," says Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien. "But Thom's been in a better headspace for quite a few years."— Brian Raftery

Examples of headspace in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web BrainCo makes the headbands for athletes, including the USA Weightlifting team, to test their focus levels and get them in the right headspace for training. — Washington Post, "CES Gadget Show: Pizza from robots, underwater scooters," 10 Jan. 2020 Without a tight fit (minimum headspace) the firing pin can push the cartridge forward instead of crushing and igniting the primer. — Outdoor Life, "The Best Big Bore Rifles For Your First African Safari: .375 H&H vs. .416 Rem. Mag. vs. .458 Win. Mag," 3 Jan. 2020 Lots of art throughout the coffee table gem helps suck you into the author's headspace, like an image of horror monster Michael Myers … giving a press conference. — Jessica Migala, NBC News, "10 coffee table books about movies, TV and music to shop 2020," 3 Jan. 2020 So encouraging your brother to get out of this negative work headspace will not only be a relief for you but also helpful for him. — cleveland, "Dear Annie: Now that I’m retired, how do I tell others I don’t want to hear about their stressful jobs?," 15 Dec. 2019 Staring down my own mortality while trying to create life put me in a pretty dark headspace. — Liz Feldman, Glamour, "A Note on Dead to Me's Origins," 7 May 2019 Yang: The jam The entrepreneur was working on getting in the right headspace by playing a game of basketball the day before the Houston debate. — Dareh Gregorian, NBC News, "Democrats prep for debate: Watch the clock, no cursing, who will strike first," 12 Sep. 2019 Pack the peaches into freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Massively popular peach truck coming back to metro Detroit: Where to find it," 18 July 2019 What is your headspace, entering the long and legendary line of hosts in this universe? — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Orlando Soria's Unspouse My House Is Your Newest HGTV Obsession," 6 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'headspace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Headspace.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headspace. Accessed 26 January 2020.