space
space
noun
OPAL W OPAL S
/speɪs/
​
outside earth’s atmosphere
1 (also outer space) uncountable the area outside the earth’s atmosphere where all the other planets and stars are
in space Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space.
the possibility of visitors from outer space
space exploration/travel
a space flight/mission
the US space program
TOPICS Space A1
Collocations
adjective
deep
outer
verb + space
go into
space + noun
exploration
​program
research
preposition
in space
phrases
the depths of space
the edge of space
space and time
empty area
2 countable an area or a place that is empty
an empty space
a large/small/narrow/wide space
a space two metres by three metres
He reversed out of the parking space.
in/into a space We were crowded together in a confined space.
They cram hundreds of animals into a tiny space.
space between A and B Put it in the space between the table and the wall.
space for something I'll clear a space for your books.
The sculpture occupies a space in the centre of the campus.
Collocations
adjective
large
vast
wide-open
… of space
amount
verb + space
fill
occupy
make use of…
preposition
space between
phrases
be short of space
run short of space
time and space
3 uncountable an amount of an area or of a place that is empty or that is available for use
SYNONYM room
We have 50  000 square metres of floor space.
Different brands compete for shelf space.
Houses were built close together with almost no empty space between them.
We must make good use of the available space.
That desk takes up too much space.
Traffic tends to expand to fill the space available.
There is very little storage space in the department.
Arrive early because space is limited.
space for something This creates space for a bigger table.
Can we make space for one more person?
disk/memory space (= on a computer or device)
4 countable, uncountable a place, especially a room or a building, that can be used for a particular purpose
The venue is a great space for music.
various gallery and exhibition spaces
to rent/lease (a) space
He was sharing office space with a lawyer.
The business began to occupy more space.
SEE ALSO safe space
5 uncountable the quality of being large and empty, allowing you to move freely
SYNONYM spaciousness
The room has been furnished and decorated to give a feeling of space.
We're enjoying the space here after living in a small flat.
6 countable, uncountable a large area of land that has no buildings on it
the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies
protection for our parks and other green spaces
It's a city with fine buildings and plenty of open space.
Green space is important in the urban environment.
Synonyms land
period of time
7 ​countable, usually singular a period of time
Leave a space of two weeks between appointments.
in the space of something Forty-four people died in the space of five days.
They had achieved a lot in a short space of time.
Collocations
adjective
long
brief
short
preposition
for the space of
in the space of
within the space of
phrases
a space of time
in writing/printing
8 ​uncountable, countable the part of a line, page or document that is empty
Don't waste space by leaving a wide margin.
There was not enough space to print all the letters we received.
Leave a space after the comma.
freedom
9 ​uncountable the freedom and the time to think or do what you want to
She was upset and needed space.
You have to give teenagers plenty of space.
SEE ALSO breathing space
where things exist/move
10 ​uncountable the whole area in which all things exist and move
It is quite possible that space and time are finite.
the fabric of space and time
TOPICS Space B1
type of business
11 ​uncountable (informal, business) an area of business in which a person or an organization operates
His investments have focused on the healthcare space.
Right now, the team is primarily at work on products within the mobile space.
Idioms
be in a good, bad, dark, etc. place
look/stare/gaze into space
a waste of space
watch this space
space
verb
/speɪs/
often passive
​space something (+ adv./prep.) to arrange things so that they have regular spaces between them
evenly spaced plants
a row of closely spaced dots
Space the posts about a metre apart.
Collocations
adverb
at interval
sequally
evenly
preposition
along
Phrasal Verbs
space out
Word Origin
Middle English: shortening of Old French espace, from Latin spatium. Current verb senses date from the late 17th cent.