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 Spurs also have a number of quality floor spacers — Barnes, Vassell and Julian Champagnie are all shooting above 36 percent from 3 on at least three attempts per game. —Anthony Slater, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025

Carefully position the garden hose spacer against the tree’s trunk so that the twine isn’t touching the tree’s bark. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2025

His elite shooting has re-established him as one of the league’s top floor spacers and given Milwaukee a vital piece in their pursuit of a championship. —Brian Sampson, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Check out our top picks for toe spacers, including some SELF staffer favorites. —Sara Coughlin, SELF, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

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