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

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

Now the Chinese SemCorp separator foil factory and the Chinese EcoPro cathode plant have sprung up too.

From BBC

So, absolutely: that’s a separator for the Seattle Storm.

From Seattle Times

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

From Science Daily

"If we change the reverse the orientation of separator in the cell, it should drive ions the other way. This is a change we can make to the system that will show a different result that we can gather."

From Science Daily