span

See also Span

English

Etymology 1

Old English spann

Pronunciation

• (RP, GenAm)
  • IPA: /spæn/
  • Rhymes: -æn
• (Australian English)
  • IPA: /spæːn/
  • Rhymes: -æːn

Noun

Wikipedia 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. Hence, a small space or a brief portion of time.
   • 2007. Zerzan, John. Silence.

     The unsilent present is a time of evaporating attention spans,

3. 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. 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. (obsolete) 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

Translations

the space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended

• Catalan: pam (ca) m
• Finnish: vaaksa (fi)
• French: empan (fr) m
• Italian: spanna (it)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: بست

• Portuguese: palmo (pt) m
• Spanish: cuarta (es) f, palmo (es) m
• Telugu: జాన (te)

hence, a small space or a brief portion of time

• Catalan: període (ca)
• Finnish: aikaväli (fi)
• Italian: periodo (it)

• Portuguese: período (pt)

the spread or extent of an arch or between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between supports

• Finnish: jänneväli (fi)
• Italian: luce (it)
• Portuguese: vão (pt) m

• Spanish: luz (es) f
• Swedish: spann (sv) n

the length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consective supports

• Finnish: jänneväli

• Swedish: spann (sv) n

nautical: A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight

a pair of horses or other animals driven together

• Swedish: spann (sv) n

mathematics: the space of all linear combinations of something

• Portuguese: espaço gerado (pt)

Related terms

• attention span
• memory span

Etymology 2

Old English spannan

Pronunciation

• (RP) and GenAm
  • IPA: /spæn/
  • Rhymes: -æn
• AusE
  • IPA: /spæːn/
  • Rhymes: -æːn

Verb

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 3 acres.

   The novel spans three centuries.

   Terry Fox fame spans globe.

   World record! 5 GHz WiFi connection spans 189 miles. [1]

3. (mathematics) to generate an entire space by means of linear combinations
4. (intransitive, US, dated) To be matched, as horses.

Translations

to traverse the distance between

• Finnish: kulkea (fi)
• French: couvrir (fr), chevaucher (fr)
• Hungarian: átível (hu), áthidal (hu)

• Italian: coprire (it)
• Slovak: preklenúť (sk)
• Swedish: spänna (sv)

to cover or extend over an area or time period

• French: couvrir (fr), s'étendre (fr)
• Polish: obejmować, mieć zasięg, rozciągać się
• Portuguese: abranger (pt)

• Spanish: abarcar (es)
• Swedish: spänna (sv)

mathematics: to generate an entire space by means of linear combinations

Etymology 3

inflected form of spin

Pronunciation

• (RP, Australia, GenAm) IPA: /spæn/
  • Rhymes: -æn

Verb

span

1. (archaic, nonstandard) Simple past of spin.
   • 1890, H. Rider Haggard, Eric Brighteyes^[[2]]:

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

Anagrams

• naps, NSPA, pans, snap

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Dutch

Verb

span

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

Anagrams

• snap

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Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From Dutch gespannen.

Noun

span

1. tense