separator

American  

[sep-uh-rey-ter] / ˈsɛp əˌreɪ tər /

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.

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Other Word Forms

• preseparator noun

Etymology

Origin of separator

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

Example Sentences

Unlike in a phone or a car, taking up space—Inlyte’s batteries consist of two-foot metal tubes, containing iron and salt kept apart by a ceramic separator—doesn’t matter on the grid.

From The Wall Street Journal

Adams, 32, has been regarded as one of the NFL’s elite separators ever since he was selected by the Packers in the second round of 2014 draft out of Fresno State.

From Los Angeles Times

“Our job is to impact the mental and physical capability of the players. The physical part is much easier. The mental part — emotional stability, consistency — that’s the separator. And trust is everything.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Separation is a big thing that I wanted to work on, and now I’ve got one of the ultimate separators ever,” Whittington said.

From Los Angeles Times

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