space (n.)

c. 1300, "extent or area; room" (to do something), a shortening of Old French espace "period of time, distance, interval" (12c.), from Latin spatium "room, area, distance, stretch of time," a word of unknown origin (also source of Spanish espacio, Italian spazio).

From early 14c. as "amount or extent of time," and in Middle English the word was largely used of time (space of an hour, etc.). Also from early 14c. as "a place;" it is attested from mid-14c. as "distance, interval between two or more objects;" from late 14c. as "ground, land, territory; extension in three dimensions; distance between two or more points." It is recorded by early 15c. as "size, bulk," also "an assigned position."

Typographical sense of "blank type to separate words in print" is attested from 1670s. The typewriter's space-bar is from 1876, earlier space-key (1860).

The astronomical sense of "stellar depths, immense emptiness between the worlds as a characteristic of the universe" is by 1723, perhaps as early as "Paradise Lost" (1667), but common from 1890s.

In this sense a prolific 20c. compound-breeder, many perhaps modeled on earlier ones in air- : Space age is attested from 1946 in reference to the era of human conquest of space but often rather of commercial products that spun off the effort. Many of these first appear in science fiction and speculative writing: spaceship (1894, "A Journey in Other Worlds," John Jacob Astor); spacecraft (1928, Popular Science); space travel (1931); space station "large artificial satellite used as a base for space exploration" (1936, "Rockets Through Space"); space flight (June 1931, Popular Science, from April in newspapers); spaceman (1942, Thrilling Wonder Stories).

Space race in reference to competition among nations to explore space is attested from 1959. Space shuttle attested by 1970.

Space isn't remote at all. It's only an hour's drive away if your car could go straight upwards. [Sir Fred Hoyle, London Observer, 1979]

Space-saving as an adjective is from 1855 (time-and-space-saving is by 1847). Related: space-saver.

in various senses from space (n.); by c. 1400 as "walk, pace" in transitive space out "measure by walking." By 1540s as "to make of a certain extent." By 1680s in typography, "to separate words in print by blank types." It is attested by 1703 in a general sense of "arrange at set intervals."

The slang meaning "be in a state of drug-induced euphoria" is recorded by 1968; spaced-out in reference to this is by 1965, and space cadet "eccentric person disconnected with reality" (often implying an intimacy with hallucinogenic drugs) is a 1960s phrase. All probably are traceable to the popular 1950s U.S. sci-fi television program about a spaceman in training, "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet." Related: Spaced; spacing.

c. 1600, from space (n.). The meaning "having to do with outer space" is from 1894.