span

1 of 4

ˈspan

Synonyms of span next

archaic past tense of spin

span

2 of 4

noun (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)

: an extent, stretch, reach, or spread between two limits: such as

: a limited space (as of time)

especially : an individual's lifetime

: the spread or extent between abutments or supports (as of a bridge)

also : a portion thus supported

: the maximum distance laterally from tip to tip of an airplane

span

3 of 4

verb

spanned; spanning

transitive verb

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

: measure

: to extend across

a career that spanned four decades

: to form an arch over

a small bridge spanned the pond

: to place or construct a span over

: 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

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

Design trends spanning the eras—from ultrathematic rooms to the burgeoning use of tech within the home—can all be found beyond the fabled music gates of Graceland, often in their purest and most authentic forms. —

Zoey Goto, Architectural Digest, 5 July 2024 With such a steep need, and dense populations of unsheltered people spanning pockets of downtown Orlando, east Orange County, Apopka, Sanford and other areas, multiple shelters may be the only practical solution. —

Ryan Gillespie, Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2024 Those that do make the trip this year, however, won’t be disappointed with the art offerings, which span modern to contemporary. —

Sarah Douglas, ARTnews.com, 4 July 2024 The course will follow the original 1925 route and span 204 nautical miles. —

Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 4 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for span

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'span.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of span was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Span.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/span. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

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Kids Definition

span

1 of 3 noun

ˈspan

: 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)

: a limited portion of time

span of life

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

: the portion supported to form a span

span

2 of 3 verb

spanned; spanning

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

: measure entry 2 sense 2

: to reach or extend across

a bridge spans the river

a career that spans four decades

: 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

: an extent of distance or of time

especially : life span

: memory span

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span

noun (1)

verb

noun

Synonyms

Examples of span in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near span

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition