span

From Middle English spanne, from Old English spann, from Proto-Germanic *spannō (“span, handbreadth”). Compare also Old English ġespan, ġespann (“a joining; a fastening together; clasp; yoke”), from Proto-Germanic *spannaz.

• (Received Pronunciation, General American)
  • IPA^(key): /spæn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  • Rhymes: -æn
• (Australian English)
  • IPA^(key): /spæːn/
  • Rhymes: -æːn

span (plural spans)

1. The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom.
2. (by extension) A small space or a brief portion of time.

   He has a short attention span and gets bored within minutes.

   • Alexander Pope

     Yet not to earth's contracted span / Thy goodness let me bound.

   • Farquhar

     Life's but a span; I'll every inch enjoy.

   • 2007. Zerzan, John. Silence.

     The unsilent present is a time of evaporating attention spans,

3. (architecture, construction) The spread or extent of an arch or between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between supports.
4. (architecture, construction) The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.
5. (nautical) A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made fast in the center so that both ends can be used.
6. (US, Canada) A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
7. (mathematics) The space of all linear combinations of something.

• attention span
• eyespan
• memory span

From Middle English spannen, from Old English spannan, from Proto-Germanic *spannaną (“to stretch, span”). Cognate with German spannen, Dutch spannen.

• (Received Pronunciation) and GenAm
  • IPA^(key): /spæn/
  • Rhymes: -æn
• AusE
  • IPA^(key): /spæːn/
  • Rhymes: -æːn

span (third-person singular simple present spans, present participle spanning, simple past and past participle spanned)

1. To traverse the distance between.

   The suspension bridge spanned the canyon as tenuously as one could imagine.

2. To cover or extend over an area or time period.

   The parking lot spans three acres.

   The novel spans three centuries.

   World record! 5 GHz WiFi connection spans 189 miles.

   • Prescott

     The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.

3. To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object.

   to span a space or distance; to span a cylinder

   • Bible, Isa. xiviii. 13

     My right hand hath spanned the heavens.

4. (mathematics) to generate an entire space by means of linear combinations
5. (intransitive, US, dated) To be matched, as horses.
6. To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.

From Middle English span, from Old English spann, from Proto-Germanic *spann, first and third person singular preterit indicative of Proto-Germanic *spinnaną (“to spin”).

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian, General American) IPA^(key): /spæn/
  • Rhymes: -æn

span

1. (archaic, nonstandard) simple past tense of spin
   • 1890, H. Rider Haggard, Eric Brighteyes‎^[]:

     So they went in to where Gudruda sat spinning in the hall, singing as she span.

   • 2014 September 29, Reuters, “Five spectators in critical condition following stunt truck accident”, in Irish Independent‎:

     a giant pick-up truck span out of control during a stunt show in a Dutch town, killing three people

• ANPs, NPAS, NSPA, PANs, PNAs, SNAP, naps, pans, snap

• IPA^(key): /spɑn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: span
• Rhymes: -ɑn

From older gespan.

span n (plural spannen, diminutive spannetje n)

1. A span, a team (pair or larger team of draught animals). [from 17th c.]
2. A cart or instrument with a team of draught animals. [from 18th c.]
3. A romantic pair, couple. [from 19th c.]

• driespan
• tweespan
• vierspan
• zesspan

• Afrikaans: span

See the etymology of the main entry.

span

1. first-person singular present indicative of spannen
2. imperative of spannen

• snap

span

1. Alternative form of spanne

Borrowed from Dutch gespannen.

span

1. tense

span n (plural spannen, diminutive spantsje)

1. span, team (pair of draught animals in a team)
2. pair, couple

• “span (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011