Main Entry:

²span

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English spann; akin to Old High German spanna span, Middle Dutch spannen to stretch, hitch up

Date:

before 12th century

1: the distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger of a spread hand ; also : an English unit of length equal to nine inches (22.9 centimeters)2: an extent, stretch, reach, or spread between two limits: as a: a limited space (as of time) ; especially : an individual's lifetime b: the spread or extent between abutments or supports (as of a bridge) ; also : a portion thus supported c: the maximum distance laterally from tip to tip of an airplane