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thin space. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
thin space, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
thin space in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
thin space you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
thin + space. First use appears c. 1683 in the writings of Joseph Moxon.
Noun
thin space (plural thin spaces)
- (letterpress typography) A metal block used to separate words, one fifth of an em in width.
- Synonyms: 5-to-the-em space, 5-em space
- Coordinate terms: thick space; em space, en space, word space
1683, Joseph Moxon, Mechanick Exercises: Or, the Doctrine of Handy-Works. Applied to the art of Printing., volume 2, pages 240–41:If it be only a Single Letter or two that drops, he thruſts the end of his Bodkin between every Letter of that Word, till he comes to a Space: and then perhaps by forcing thoſe Letters closer, he may have room to put in another Space or a Thin Space; which if he cannot do, and he finds the Space ſtand Looſe in the Form; he with the Point of his Bodkin picks the Space up and bows it a little; which bowing makes the Letters on each ſide of the Space keep their parallel diſtance; for by its Spring it thruſts the Letters that were cloſed with the end of the Bodkin to their adjunct Letters, that needed no cloſing.
- (typography) In digital text, a character representing a thin space.
- Synonyms: 5-to-the-em space, 5-em space
- Coordinate terms: thick space; em space, en space, no-break space, word space, zero-width space
- 2002, Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style (version 2.5), Vancouver, Hartley & Marks, →ISBN, p 43:
- All you may see on the keyboard is a space bar, but typographers use several invisible characters: the word space, fixed spaces of various sizes (em space, en space, thin space, figure space, etc) and a hard space or no-break space.
Anagrams