space (spaces plural & 3rd person present) (spacing present participle) (spaced past tense & past participle )
1 n-var You use space to refer to an area that is empty or available. The area can be any size. For example, you can refer to a large area outside as a large open space or to a small area between two objects as a small space.
Under the plan, bits of open space<endash10001fields, golf-course borders and small parks<endash10002will be preserved., ...cutting down yet more trees to make space for houses..., I had plenty of space to write and sew..., The space underneath could be used as a storage area..., List in the spaces below the specific changes you have made.
2 n-var A particular kind of space is the area that is available for a particular activity or for putting a particular kind of thing in.
usu supp N
...the high cost of office space..., Finding a parking space in the summer months is still a virtual impossibility...
3 n-uncount If a place gives a feeling of space, it gives an impression of being large and open.
oft n of N
Large paintings can enhance the feeling of space in small rooms...
4 n-uncount If you give someone space to think about something or to develop as a person, you allow them the time and freedom to do this.
(=room)
You need space to think everything over...
5 n-uncount The amount of space for a topic to be discussed in a document is the number of pages available to discuss the topic.
We can't promise to publish a reply as space is limited.
6 n-sing A space of time is a period of time.
N of n
They've come a long way in a short space of time...
7 n-uncount Space is the area beyond the Earth's atmosphere, where the stars and planets are.
The six astronauts on board will spend ten days in space., ...launching satellites into space., ...outer space.
8 n-uncount Space is the whole area within which everything exists.
The physical universe is finite in space and time.
9 verb If you space a series of things, you arrange them so that they are not all together but have gaps or intervals of time between them.
Women once again are having fewer children and spacing them further apart... V n adv/prep
His voice was angry and he spaced the words for emphasis. V n
Space out means the same as space., phrasal verb
He talks quite slowly and spaces his words out... V n P
I was spacing out the seedlings into divided trays... V P n (not pron)
spacing n-uncount
Generous spacing gives healthier trees and better crops.
10
→
spacing
→
airspace
→
breathing space
→
outer space
→
personal space
11 If you are staring into space, you are looking straight in front of you, without actually looking at anything in particular, for example because you are thinking or because you are feeling shocked.
(staring) into space phrase PHR after v He just sat in the dressing-room staring into space...
breathing space (breathing spaces plural )A breathing space is a short period of time between two activities in which you can recover from the first activity and prepare for the second one. n-var
(=respite)
Firms need a breathing space if they are to recover...
outer space
Outer space is the area outside the earth's atmosphere where the other planets and stars are situated. n-uncount
In 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik 1 into outer space.
personal space
1 n-uncount If someone invades your personal space, they stand or lean too close to you, so that you feel uncomfortable.
oft poss N
2 n-uncount If you need your personal space, you need time on your own, with the freedom to do something that you want to do or to think about something.
oft poss N
Self-confidence means being relaxed enough to allow your lover their personal space.
space age , space-age
1 n-sing The space age is the present period in the history of the world, when travel in space has become possible.
the N
2 adj You use space-age to describe something that is very modern and makes you think of the technology of the space age.
usu ADJ n
(=futuristic)
...a space-age tower of steel and glass.
space flight (space flights plural )A space flight is a trip into space. n-var
She made her first and only space flight last September...
space probe (space probes plural )A space probe is a spacecraft with no people in it which is sent into space in order to study the planets and send information about them back to earth. n-count
space shuttle (space shuttles plural )A space shuttle or a shuttle is a spacecraft that is designed to travel into space and back to earth several times. n-count
space station (space stations plural )A space station is a place built for astronauts to live and work in, which is sent into space and then keeps going around the earth. n-count
space suit (space suits plural ), spacesuit A space suit is a special protective suit that is worn by astronauts in space. n-count
space walk (space walks plural )When an astronaut goes on a space walk, he or she leaves the spacecraft and works outside it while floating in space. n-count
