separator
n.n. a person or thing that keeps two or more things apart. You use this to describe a physical object like a line or a divider, or a person who stops a conversation.
n. a person or object that keeps two or more things apart or prevents them from mixing. Often used in technical contexts to describe a physical or logical boundary.
The line on the road is a good separator.
The host acted as a polite separator, ensuring that the two groups of guests did not get too close.
In chemical engineering, a separator is a device used to divide a mixture into its individual components based on physical properties like density or volatility.
Borrowed from Latin sēparātor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 19, 2026