1. Extension, considered independently of anything which it may contain; that which makes extended objects conceivable and possible. "Pure
space is capable neither of
resistance nor motion." (Locke)
2. Seat, having more or ess extension; room. "They gave
him chase, and hunted
him as hare; Long had he no
space to
dwell [in]" (R. Of Brunne) "While I have
time and space." (Chaucer)
3. A
quantity or portion of extension;
distance from one thing to other; an
interval between any
two or more objects; as, the
space between
two stars or
two hills; the
sound was heard for the
space of a mile. "Put a
space betwixt
drove and drove." (Gen. Xxxii. 16)
4. Quantity of time; an
interval between
two points of time; duration; time. "Grace God gave
him here,
this earth to
hold long space." "Nine times the
space that measures
day and night." (Milton) "God may defer
his judgments for a time, and
give a people a longer
space of repentance." (Tillotson)
5. A
short time; a while. "To remain your
deadly strife a space."
6. Walk; track; path; rate. "This ilke [same]
monk allow
old things pace, And held after the
new world the space." (Chaucer)
7. A
little piece of
metal cast lower than a
person type, so as not to
receive the
ink in printing, used to
separate words or letters. The
distance or
interval between words or letters in the lines, or between lines, as in books.
Spaces are of various thicknesses to enable the compositor to arrange the words at
equal distances from
every another in the
same line.
8. One of the intervals, or
open places, between the lines of the staff. Absolute space, Euclidian space, etc. See Absolute, Euclidian, etc. Space line, a beautiful, thin,
short metal rule of the
same height as the type, used in printing
short lines in
tabular matter.
Origin: OE. Space, F. Espace, from L. Spatium space; cf. Gr. To draw, to tear; perh. Akin to E. Span. Cf. Expatiate.
Source: Websters Vocabulary