Span

Quick meaning: Span is a noun meaning The full width of an open hand from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger used as an informal unit of length.

Meaning

The full width of an open hand from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger used as an informal unit of length.

More Meanings

1. (by extension) A small space or a brief portion of time.
2. A portion of something by length; a subsequence.
3. (architecture, construction) The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.
4. (US, Canada) A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
5. Any of various traditional units of length approximating this distance, especially the English handspan of 9 inches forming ⅛ fathom and equivalent to 22.86 cm.
6. (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.
7. (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.

Example Sentences

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

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

The unsilent present is a time of evaporating attention spans,

Yet not to Earth's contracted Span, Thy Goodneſs let me bound; […]

Word Forms

• spans
• spanning
• spanned

Synonyms for span

Depending on context, synonyms include bridge, sweep, cross, yoke, brace, dyad.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include brace, sweep, straddle, yoke, duad, twosome.

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