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 spacers are millegrain-set with old brilliant, old single and rose-cut diamonds. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 May 2026

Thompson and Duren are both total non-spacers on offense, which allows opponents to ignore them out on the perimeter and send extra help at Cunningham. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

Hart has become both screener and spacer. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026

All products featured in Spanx’s AirEssentials line are made from the same lightweight, out-of-this-world-soft spacer fabric. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 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