diff --git a/lib/lucene-query-parser.js b/lib/lucene-query-parser.js
index 8ec2117..549c0d0 100644
--- a/lib/lucene-query-parser.js
+++ b/lib/lucene-query-parser.js
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ module.exports = (function(){
         "paren_exp": parse_paren_exp,
         "field_exp": parse_field_exp,
         "fieldname": parse_fieldname,
-        "separator": parse_separator,
         "term": parse_term,
         "unquoted_term": parse_unquoted_term,
         "term_char": parse_term_char,
@@ -443,12 +442,7 @@ module.exports = (function(){
                 range['field'] =
                     fieldname == ''
                         ? "<implicit>"
-                        : fieldname['name'];
-        
-                range['separator'] =
-                        fieldname == ''
-                            ? null
-                            : fieldname['separator'];
+                        : fieldname;
         
                 return range;
             })(pos0, result0[0], result0[1]);
@@ -474,8 +468,7 @@ module.exports = (function(){
           }
           if (result0 !== null) {
             result0 = (function(offset, fieldname, node) {
-                  node['field']= fieldname['name'];
-                  node['separator']= fieldname['separator'];
+                  node['field']= fieldname;
                   return node;
               })(pos0, result0[0], result0[1]);
           }
@@ -505,11 +498,7 @@ module.exports = (function(){
                         'field':
                             fieldname == ''
                                 ? "<implicit>"
-                                : fieldname['name'],
-                         'separator':
-                            fieldname == ''
-                                ? null
-                                : fieldname['separator']
+                                : fieldname
                         };
             
                     for(var key in term)
@@ -534,7 +523,15 @@ module.exports = (function(){
         pos1 = pos;
         result0 = parse_unquoted_term();
         if (result0 !== null) {
-          result1 = parse_separator();
+          if (/^[:]/.test(input.charAt(pos))) {
+            result1 = input.charAt(pos);
+            pos++;
+          } else {
+            result1 = null;
+            if (reportFailures === 0) {
+              matchFailed("[:]");
+            }
+          }
           if (result1 !== null) {
             result0 = [result0, result1];
           } else {
@@ -546,9 +543,9 @@ module.exports = (function(){
           pos = pos1;
         }
         if (result0 !== null) {
-          result0 = (function(offset, fieldname, separator) {
-                return {'name': fieldname, 'separator': separator}
-            })(pos0, result0[0], result0[1]);
+          result0 = (function(offset, fieldname) {
+                return fieldname;
+            })(pos0, result0[0]);
         }
         if (result0 === null) {
           pos = pos0;
@@ -556,21 +553,6 @@ module.exports = (function(){
         return result0;
       }
       
-      function parse_separator() {
-        var result0;
-        
-        if (/^[>:<]/.test(input.charAt(pos))) {
-          result0 = input.charAt(pos);
-          pos++;
-        } else {
-          result0 = null;
-          if (reportFailures === 0) {
-            matchFailed("[>:<]");
-          }
-        }
-        return result0;
-      }
-      
       function parse_term() {
         var result0, result1, result2, result3, result4, result5;
         var pos0, pos1;
@@ -745,13 +727,13 @@ module.exports = (function(){
           }
         }
         if (result0 === null) {
-          if (/^[^: <>\t\r\n\f{}()"\/^~[\]]/.test(input.charAt(pos))) {
+          if (/^[^: \t\r\n\f{}()"\/^~[\]]/.test(input.charAt(pos))) {
             result0 = input.charAt(pos);
             pos++;
           } else {
             result0 = null;
             if (reportFailures === 0) {
-              matchFailed("[^: <>\\t\\r\\n\\f{}()\"\\/^~[\\]]");
+              matchFailed("[^: \\t\\r\\n\\f{}()\"\\/^~[\\]]");
             }
           }
         }
diff --git a/lib/lucene-query.grammar b/lib/lucene-query.grammar
index 37b9ca4..29c904d 100644
--- a/lib/lucene-query.grammar
+++ b/lib/lucene-query.grammar
@@ -138,19 +138,13 @@ field_exp
         range['field'] =
             fieldname == ''
                 ? "<implicit>"
-                : fieldname['name'];
-
-        range['separator'] =
-                fieldname == ''
-                    ? null
-                    : fieldname['separator'];
+                : fieldname;
 
         return range;
     }
   / fieldname:fieldname node:paren_exp
     {
-        node['field']= fieldname['name'];
-        node['separator']= fieldname['separator'];
+        node['field']= fieldname;
         return node;
     }
   / fieldname:fieldname? term:term
@@ -159,11 +153,7 @@ field_exp
             'field':
                 fieldname == ''
                     ? "<implicit>"
-                    : fieldname['name'],
-             'separator':
-                fieldname == ''
-                    ? null
-                    : fieldname['separator']
+                    : fieldname
             };
 
         for(var key in term)
@@ -173,14 +163,11 @@ field_exp
     }
 
 fieldname
-  = fieldname:unquoted_term separator:separator
+  = fieldname:unquoted_term [:]
     {
-        return {'name': fieldname, 'separator': separator}
+        return fieldname;
     }
 
-separator
-  = [>:<]
-
 term
   = op:prefix_operator_exp? term:quoted_term proximity:proximity_modifier? boost:boost_modifier? _*
       {
@@ -226,8 +213,7 @@ unquoted_term
     }
 
 term_char
-  = '.' / [^: <>\t\r\n\f\{\}()"/^~\[\]]
-
+  = '.' / [^: \t\r\n\f\{\}()"/^~\[\]]
 
 quoted_term
   = '"' term:[^"]+ '"'
diff --git a/spec/lucene-query-parser.spec.js b/spec/lucene-query-parser.spec.js
index 6464c22..fd461ad 100644
--- a/spec/lucene-query-parser.spec.js
+++ b/spec/lucene-query-parser.spec.js
@@ -49,15 +49,15 @@ describe("lucenequeryparser: term parsing", function() {
     });
 
     it("accepts terms with '-'", function() {
-        var results = lucenequeryparser.parse('created_at>now-5d');
+        var results = lucenequeryparser.parse('created_at:>now-5d');
 
-        expect(results['left']['term']).toBe('now-5d');
+        expect(results['left']['term']).toBe('>now-5d');
     });
 
     it("accepts terms with '+'", function() {
-        var results = lucenequeryparser.parse('published_at>now+5d');
+        var results = lucenequeryparser.parse('published_at:>now+5d');
 
-        expect(results['left']['term']).toBe('now+5d');
+        expect(results['left']['term']).toBe('>now+5d');
     });
 });
 
@@ -261,24 +261,6 @@ describe("lucenequeryparser: range expressions", function() {
     });
 });
 
-describe("lucenequeryparser: term seperator", function() {
-  it("accepts > as field/term separator", function() {
-    var results = lucenequeryparser.parse('created_at>yesterday');
-
-    expect(results['left']['field']).toBe('created_at');
-    expect(results['left']['term']).toBe('yesterday');
-    expect(results['left']['separator']).toBe('>');
-  });
-
-  it("accepts < as field/term separator", function() {
-    var results = lucenequeryparser.parse('created_at<today');
-
-    expect(results['left']['field']).toBe('created_at');
-    expect(results['left']['term']).toBe('today');
-    expect(results['left']['separator']).toBe('<');
-  });
-});
-
 describe("lucenequeryparser: Lucene Query syntax documentation examples", function() {
 
     /*