span

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See also: Span, SPAN, spàn, spân, spãn, špan, and Spāņ

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

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  • Audio (US):(file)
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Noun

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  1. The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; an 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.
    • (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Yet not to earth's contracted span / Thy goodness let me bound.
    • (Can we date this quote by Farquhar and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      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.
Translations

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

Verb

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  1. (transitive) To extend through the distance between or across.
    The suspension bridge spanned the canyon.
    • (Can we date this quote by Prescott and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
  2. (transitive) To extend through (a time period).
    The parking lot spans three acres.
    The novel spans three centuries.
  3. (transitive) 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. (transitive) To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
Translations

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

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /spæn/

Verb

span

  1. (archaic, nonstandard) simple past of spin
    • 1891, H[enry] Rider Haggard, “How Hall of Lithdale Took Tidings to Iceland”, in Eric Brighteyes, 2nd edition, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 204:
      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[1], archived from the original on 11 March 2016:
      Five spectators remained in critical condition on Monday, a day after they were injured when a giant pick-up truck span out of control during a stunt show in a Dutch town, killing three people, local officials said.

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From older gespan.

Noun

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.]
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Afrikaans: span

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

span

  1. (deprecated template usage) first-person singular present indicative of spannen
  2. (deprecated template usage) imperative of spannen

Anagrams

Middle English

Noun

span

  1. Alternative form of spanne

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch gespannen.

Noun

span

  1. tense

West Frisian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

span n (plural spannen, diminutive spantsje)

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

Further reading

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