spark gap

noun Electricity.

a space between two electrodes, across which a discharge of electricity may take place.
the electrodes and the space between, considered as a unit: used in ignition systems.

Origin of spark gap

First recorded in 1885–90

Words nearby spark gap

spark, spark arrester, spark chamber, spark coil, spark erosion, spark gap, spark generator, spark off, spark photography, spark plug, spark spectrum

Example sentences from the Web for spark gap

British Dictionary definitions for spark gap

spark gap

noun

the space between two electrodes across which a spark can jump Sometimes shortened to: gap

Scientific definitions for spark gap

spark gap

A gap in an otherwise closed electric circuit across which a discharge occurs at a prescribed voltage. The discharge often causes ionization of the surrounding gas and thereby very high temperatures, and can be exploited, as in spark plugs, to ignite engine fuel in a combustion chamber.