span
English
Etymology 1
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.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American)
- IPA(key): /spæn/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -æn
- (Australian English)
- IPA(key): /spæːn/
- Rhymes: -æːn
Noun
span (plural spans)
- The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom.
- (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,
- (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.
- (architecture, construction) The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.
- (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.
- (US, Canada) A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
- (mathematics) The space of all linear combinations of something.
Related terms
Translations
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Etymology 2
From Middle English spannen, from Old English spannan, from Proto-Germanic *spannaną (“to stretch, span”). Cognate with German spannen, Dutch spannen.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) and GenAm
- IPA(key): /spæn/
- Rhymes: -æn
- AusE
- IPA(key): /spæːn/
- Rhymes: -æːn
Verb
span (third-person singular simple present spans, present participle spanning, simple past and past participle spanned)
- To traverse the distance between.
- The suspension bridge spanned the canyon as tenuously as one could imagine.
- 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.
- 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.
- (mathematics) to generate an entire space by means of linear combinations
- (intransitive, US, dated) To be matched, as horses.
- To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
Translations
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Etymology 3
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”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General Australian, General American) IPA(key): /spæn/
- Rhymes: -æn
Verb
span
- (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
-
Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /spɑn/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: span
- Rhymes: -ɑn
Etymology 1
From older gespan.
Noun
span n (plural spannen, diminutive spannetje n)
- A span, a team (pair or larger team of draught animals). [from 17th c.]
- A cart or instrument with a team of draught animals. [from 18th c.]
- A romantic pair, couple. [from 19th c.]
Derived terms
- driespan
- tweespan
- vierspan
- zesspan
Descendants
- Afrikaans: span
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the main entry.