separator

[ sep-uh-rey-ter ]

noun

1. a person or thing that separates.
2. any of various apparatus for separating one thing from another, as cream from milk, steam from water, or wheat from chaff.
3. Electricity. a device that prevents metal contact between plates of opposite charge in a storage battery.
4. Machinery. retainer ¹( def 3 ).

Other Words From

• pre·sepa·rator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of separator¹

1600–10; < Late Latin sēparātor, equivalent to Latin sēparā ( re ) to separate + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

The “how” is broken down into five pillars the team calls separators: communication, block destruction, ball disruption, effort and angles, and tackling.

From Los Angeles Times

A battery consists of two electrodes -- the anode and cathode, typically made of different materials -- as well as a separator and electrolyte, a chemical medium that allows for the flow of electrical charge.

From Science Daily

The PEC uses a pyroelectric composite material, as the separator in an electrochemical cell.

From Science Daily

To avoid this, separators composed of polyolefins -- a type of polymer -- can be employed to maintain separation.

From Science Daily

“And that’s her preparation, her attention to detail is the separator.”

From Seattle Times