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

Toe spacers make polish application much easier and cut down on smudging while layers dry. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026

The Heat will be looking for spacers to put around Antetokounmpo, who might already be dealing with crowded driving lanes because Bam Adebayo is his new frontcourt partner. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 June 2026

Evans worked as an off-the-ball floor spacer with the ability to heat up from outside in a hurry while shooting 38% from behind the arc through two seasons. — CBS News, 24 June 2026

Unless one of them is willing to spend their career coming off the bench or becomes a dangerous floor spacer well beyond expectation, someone is heading out at some point. — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 24 June 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