thick space

English

Etymology

From thick +‎ space. First use appears c. 1683 in the writings of Joseph Moxon.

Noun

thick space (plural thick spaces)

1. (letterpress typography) A metal block used to separate words, one third of an em in width.

   Synonyms: 3-to-the-em space, 3-em space

   Coordinate terms: thin space; em space, en space, word space

2. (typography) In digital text, a character representing a thick space.

   Synonyms: 3-to-the-em space, 3-em space

   Coordinate terms: thin space; em space, en space, no-break space, word space, zero-width space