span

1 of 4

ˈspan 

archaic past tense of spin

span

2 of 4

noun (1)

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: such 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

span

3 of 4

verb

spanned; spanning

transitive verb

1

a

: to measure by or as if by the hand with fingers and thumb extended

b

: measure

2

a

: to extend across

a career that spanned four decades

b

: to form an arch over

a small bridge spanned the pond

c

: to place or construct a span over

3

: to be capable of expressing any element of under given operations

a set of vectors that spans a vector space

span

4 of 4

noun

: a pair of animals (such as mules) usually matched in appearance and action and driven together

Synonyms

Verb

• gauge
• gage
• measure
• scale

Examples of span in a Sentence

Verb

His career as a singer spanned three decades.

Their empire once spanned several continents.

Her academic interests span a wide variety of topics.

A bridge spans the river.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Despite poor weather conditions and limited assets in the area, a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft crew based in Japan was deployed and the USCGC Oliver Henry cutter was diverted to the search area, which spanned more than 78,000 square nautical miles. —Stephen Smith, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024

The district, which spans inland North County and East County, is one of the state’s most Republican-leaning, according to the local party. —Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024

Marking the eighth sign of the zodiac, falling after Libra and before Sagittarius, Scorpio season spans from October 23 to November 21 each year. —Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 9 Apr. 2024

The flood threat on Thursday spans from the Southeast to New England, with the most severe conditions anticipated across the Appalachian Mountains. —Christina Maxouris, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

The chocolate room houses over 120 varieties of chocolate, spanning Vietnam and beyond, with a tasting led by a cocoa master. —Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024

At Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, the leadership team is comprised of women who have not only excelled in their roles but have also carved out remarkable tenures spanning between 10 to 28 years. —Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

For comparison, Yosemite spans nearly 760,000 acres. —USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

Noun

Six construction workers died when the span plunged into the Patapsco River in the early morning hours of March 26. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024

In the span of two minutes, Golden State’s comfortable lead was down to eight. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024

Authorities said previously that six construction workers who had been repairing potholes on the Key Bridge — including Suazo Sandoval — were believed to have fallen to their deaths after a ship crashed into the span last week, collapsing it. —Teo Armus, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

McCollum hit 5 of 7 3-point attempts with two big ones in a span of 26 seconds during a backbreaking 15-2 run in the fourth quarter. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024

Now, just a half mile from the span, the vessel has gone dark – no power, no steering, no propulsion. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

In the span of just a few minutes, the scene is heartbreaking, horrifying, hilarious, surprising, and gross. —EW.com, 11 Apr. 2024

It is expected to happen on Aug. 12, 2045, and span from California to Florida. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024

The best views of the solar eclipse in the U.S. span from Texas through Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio to northwestern New York and Maine, according to NASA. —Maura Barrett, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun

Dutch, from Middle Dutch, from spannen to hitch up

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1769, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing span

• attention span
• health span
• life span
• span-new
• spic-and-span
• spick-and-span
• time span

Kids Definition

span

1 of 3 noun

ˈspan 

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 9 inches (about 22.9 centimeters)

2

a

: a limited portion of time

span of life

b

: the spread (as of an arch) from one support to another

c

: the portion supported to form a span

span

2 of 3 verb

spanned; spanning

1

a

: to measure by or as if by the hand with fingers and thumb extended

b

: measure entry 2 sense 2

2

a

: to reach or extend across

a bridge spans the river

a career that spans four decades

b

: to place or construct a span over

span

3 of 3 noun

: a pair of animals (as mules) driven together

Etymology

Noun

Old English spann "distance measured by the outstretched hand"

Noun

from Dutch span "a pair of animals driven together," derived from earlier spannen "to hitch up"

Medical Definition

span

noun

ˈspan 

1

: an extent of distance or of time

especially : life span

2

: memory span