crawlspace

American  

[krawl-speys] / ˈkrɔlˌspeɪs /

Or crawl space

noun

1. (in a building) an area accessible by crawling, having a clearance less than human height, for access to plumbing or wiring, storage, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of crawlspace

First recorded in 1950–55; crawl ¹ + space

Example Sentences

Officials said the owner told deputies nobody was supposed to be living in that area, and no lights had been set up in the crawlspace.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025

The woman’s daughter, unnamed by officials, had called for help after being unable to find her mother in the crawlspace under the house.

From Washington Times • Nov. 28, 2023

The discovery came as he was on his hands and knees rummaging through a crawlspace in his father-in-law's home in the Pico-Union neighbourhood of LA.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2023

Temperatures in the crawlspace where I worked never fluctuated — they remained a constant 40 degrees below zero.

From Salon • May 29, 2023

I went from room to room, turning on lights and looking anywhere a paranoid old man might hide from monsters: behind furniture, in the attic crawlspace, under the workbench in the garage.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs