dead space

noun

: the portion of the respiratory system which is external to the bronchioles and through which air must pass to reach the bronchioles and alveoli

Examples of dead space in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Installing an overhead shower can help avoid any dead space, making full use of a small shower. Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2025 The Dolphins would never willingly take on almost $80 million in dead space, and the team has also not shown any signs of even benching the star quarterback, much less cutting ties with him altogether. Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 While sound designer Heath Hays and lighting designer Ellie Humphrys fill these interludes with upbeat music and cool hues, there’s simply too much dead space to keep up the momentum. Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, the outdoor plaza, itself — elevated from the street some 30 feet at its south end, like a concrete mesa or pillbox — had essentially become a city block of dead space, each year hosting one giant event, the KC Fiesta Hispana, but little else. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dead space

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dead space was circa 1923

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Cite this Entry

“Dead space.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20space. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

dead space

noun
1
: space in the respiratory system in which air does not undergo significant gaseous exchange see anatomical dead space, physiological dead space
2
: a space (as that in the chest following excision of a lung) left in the body as the result of a surgical procedure
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