span
1 Americannoun
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the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended.
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a unit of length corresponding to this distance, commonly taken as 9 inches (23 centimeters).
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a distance, amount, piece, etc., of this length or of some small extent.
a span of lace.
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Civil Engineering, Architecture.
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the distance between two supports of a structure.
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the structure so supported.
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the distance or space between two supports of a bridge.
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the full extent, stretch, or reach of anything.
a long span of memory.
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Aeronautics. the distance between the wing tips of an airplane.
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a limited space of time, as the term or period of living.
Our span on earth is short.
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Mathematics. the smallest subspace of a vector space that contains a given element or set of elements.
verb (used with object)
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to measure by the hand with the thumb and little finger extended.
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to encircle with the hand or hands, as the waist.
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to extend over or across (a section of land, a river, etc.).
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to provide with something that extends over.
to span a river with a bridge.
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to extend or reach over (space or time).
a memory that spans 90 years.
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Mathematics. to function (in a subspace of a vector space) as a span.
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Archery. to bend (the bow) in preparation for shooting.
noun
verb
abbreviation
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Spaniard.
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Spanish.
noun
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the interval, space, or distance between two points, such as the ends of a bridge or arch
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the complete duration or extent
the span of his life
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psychol the amount of material that can be processed in a single mental act
apprehension span
span of attention
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short for wingspan
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a unit of length based on the width of an expanded hand, usually taken as nine inches
verb
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to stretch or extend across, over, or around
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to provide with something that extends across or around
to span a river with a bridge
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to measure or cover, esp with the extended hand
abbreviation
noun
verb
Related Words
See pair.
Etymology
Origin of span1
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun spanne, sponne, spayn, Old English span(n), spon(n); cognate with German Spanne, Dutch span, Old Norse spǫnn; the verb is derivative of the noun
Origin of span2
An Americanism dating to 1760–70; from Dutch: “team (of oxen, horses)”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"That trend is over and there is a shift in focus. Our attention spans these days is very short."
From BBC
Northrop, notably the maker of the stealth bomber as well as many drones, missiles, and radar technologies, stock was up 15% over that span.
From Barron's
Caroline joined the Journal from the Guardian, where she served as East Africa global development correspondent, reporting extensively across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania on issues spanning human rights, technology, climate, culture and politics.
Lockheed stock was flat over that span, with investors worried that militaries would de-emphasize their manned fighter jets in favor of lower-cost autonomous systems.
From Barron's
The bridge spans a culvert, maintained by the city.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
