Span

Definition: Span

Span

Noun

1. The complete duration of something; "the job was finished in the span of an hour".

2. The distance or interval between two points.

3. Two items of the same kind.

4. A unit of length based on the width of the expanded human hand (usually taken as 9 inches).

5. A structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

6. The act of sitting or standing astride.

Verb

1. To cover a wide area; "Rivers traverse the valley floor", "The parking lot spans 3 acres".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "span" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Aerospace

Building & Civil Engineering

Computing

Meteorology & Standards

Mining

Transportation

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SPAN

SPAN

SPAN

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Synonyms: Span

Accompaniment

Verb: pair, couple, bracket, yoke; conduplicate; mate, span.

Noun: duality, dualism; duplicity; biplicity, biformity; polarity. two, deuce, couple, duet, brace, pair, cheeks, twins, Castor and Pollux, gemini, Siamese twins; fellows; yoke, conjugation; dispermy, doublets, dyad, span.

Connection

Verb: bridge over, span; connect; hang.

Distance

Noun: distance; space; remoteness, farness, far-cry to; longinquity, elongation; offing, background; remote region; removedness; parallax; reach, span, stride.

Junction

Attach, fix, affix, saddle on, fasten, bind, secure, clinch, twist, make fast; Adjective: tie, pinion, string, strap, sew, lace, tat, tack, knit, button, buckle, hitch, lash, truss, bandage, braid, splice, swathe, gird, tether, moor, picket, harness, chain; fetter; (restrain); lock, latch, belay, brace, hook, grapple, leash, couple, accouple, link, yoke, bracket; marry; (wed); bridge over, span.

Length

Noun: length, longitude, span; mileage; distance.

Measurement

Span, pace step; apply the compass; Noun: gauge, plumb, probe, sound, fathom; heave the log, heave the lead; survey.

Nearness

Short distance, short step, short cut; earshot, close quarters, stone's throw; bow shot, gun shot, pistol shot; hair's breadth, span.

Newness

Fresh as a rose, fresh as a daisy, fresh as paint; spick and span.

Shortness

Noun: shortness; Adjective: brevity; littleness; a span.

Similarity

Verb: be similar; Adjective: look like, resemble, bear resemblance; smack of, savor of; approximate; parallel, match, rhyme with; take after; imitate; favor, span.

Time

Noun: time, duration; period, term, stage, space, span, spell, season; the whole time, the whole period; space-time; course; snap.

Transientness

Noun: transience, transientness; Adjective: evanescence, impermanence, fugacity, caducity, mortality, span; nine days' wonder, bubble, Mayfly; spurt; flash in the pan; temporary arrangement, interregnum.

Crosswords: Span

Dutch (harness, pair), German (boring, chip, filing, flake, piece of kindling, shaving, spill), Sranan (care, see, take care, worry).

The American public's attention span is about as long as your dick (Canadian Bacon; writing credit: Michael Moore)

I'm not bright! Big words confuse me! I have the attention span of a rodent, and Wanda loves me anyway (The Fairly OddParents; writing credit: Philippe Setbon)

A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours. (references; author: unknown)

A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds. (references; author: unknown)

Spook and Span (1958)

Spic and Span (1950)

The Span of Life (1914)

Short Attention Span Theater (1989)

Mid Span & Parallel Views (1984)

Alison Gross (performing artist: Steeleye Span)

All Around My Hat (performing artist: Steeleye Span)

Awake Awake (performing artist: Steeleye Span)

Bach Goes To Limerick (performing artist: Steeleye Span)

Black Freighter, The (performing artist: Steeleye Span)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Development Across the Life Span (3rd Edition) (reference)

• The Developing Person Through the Life Span (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Classic Rock Legends: Steeleye Span (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, adults (more than 5 years old) are unmistakable with dark brown plumage except for white head, neck and tails. The beak, eyes, legs, and feet are yellow. Wing span up to 2.5 meters, with females considerably larger than males. Immature eagles lack white plumage and yellow accents. Credit: National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR).

North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Edible shrimps, like this white shrimp, Penaeus setiferus, depend on healthy estuaries for their survival. They enter the estuary from the ocean as minute post larvae and return as adults in the span of just a few months. Credit: National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR).

In grapefruit as well as many other fruits, one female Mexican fruit fly can deposit large numbers of eggs: up to 40 eggs at a time, 100 or more a day, and about 2,000 over her life span. P. Credit: USDA ARS News; photo by Jack Dykinga..

General view, looking north, showing the "sea side" of the structure. Photograph by Jet Lowe, 1984. (Reproduction Number: HAER, CAL,38-SANFRA,140-4) An international icon of American engineering genius, the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937 and remains one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. The main span of 4,200 feet crosses the turbulent waters at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Chief engineer Joseph B. Stern started the construction project in 1933. Credit: Library of Congress.

Changing draw span of Wabash R.R. Bridge. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

The black span was a cave before them

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Life span may be normal. (references)

Some individuals have a normal life span and little or no disability. (references)

In 1929, the average life span of a person with Down syndrome was nine years. (references)

Business

Power plants generally have a life span of around 20-25 years. (references)

The second is that some firms' activities span multiple codes. (references)

The average vehicle life span was extremely long, often over 20 years. (references)

Civil Liberties

Kyrgyz Republic

In the span of 3 weeks, the local NGO community organized open meetings throughout the country to rally opposition to the proposed amendments, held a press conference and sent a letter to the President urging him to "take measures" against it. Soon afterwards the Presidential Administration retracted the proposed amendment. (references)

Economic History

France

Certificates of utility have a six-year, non-renewable life span. (references)

Zimbabwe

Parliament consists of the House of Assembly and has up to a 5-year life span. (references)

Political Economy

Panama

Moscoso's coalition partners in the Legislative Assembly span a wide spectrum of interest and ideologies. (references)

Trade

Honduras

When the product has a short life span, the day, month and year of expiration must be specified. (references)

India

In accordance with agreements signed with European Union and other major trading partners, India is committed to lifting import curbs by the year 2003. The removal of QR's and the prospect of further reduction in tariffs to the Asian levels within a span of two years are likely to lead to a high degree of import competition. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Expressions using "span": a span ♦ aileron span ♦ attention span ♦ head span ♦ inner span ♦ life span ♦ Life span nutrition ♦ span between extreme values ♦ span blocks ♦ span counter ♦ span iron ♦ span line ♦ span loading ♦ span roof ♦ span saw ♦ span shackle ♦ spick and span ♦ the whole span of the english history. Additional references.

Beginning with "span": span-farthing, span-new, span-over-chord, span-roofed, span-saw, span-worm.

Ending with "span": half-span, single-span, time-span, wing-span.

Albanian

spektër (gamut, light-spectrum, spectrum), shtrirje e krahëve, mas (admeasure, determine, fit on, measure, mete, size, weigh), gjatësi e krahëve të shtrirë, hapësirë (area, clearance, elbow room, expanse, expansion, extent, headway, ocean, play, precinct, range, space, Weald, wideness), hapësirë drite, hapje (aperture, disclosure, dissection, inauguration, open, opening, orifice, rift, spreading, stretch, tablet, tabloid, troche, vent, venthole), hark (arc, arch, bow, cantilever, crossbow), hedh një urë ndërmjet, horizont (horizon, reach, scope, skyline, width), interval kohe (distance, headway, lag, slot), jetëgjatësi (durability, life, lifespan, longevity), çift (conjugate, couple, couplet, double, doublet, duet, match, pair, twin, two, twosome), kapërcej (bypass, climb over, cross, exceed, fight off, get over, go one better than, hop, lap, leap, leave out, miss out, outdo, overbalance, overcome, overmaster, overpower, surmount, transcend, turn, vault), vërtit (flip, grind, spin, swing, twist, wiggle), mat (checkmate, mat, Matt, measure, mete, size, weigh), pëllëmbë (flat of the hand, palm), përfshij (add in, comprehend, comprise, contain, count in, cover, embrace, imply, include, incorporate, involve, mix in, reach, store, subsume, sweep), pendë (barrage, dam, dike, embankment, feather, fin, mole, pinion, plumage, plume, quill, seawall, sluice, Weir, yoke), periudhë (bout, chapter, date, day, epoch, hitch, hour, inning, innings, period, phase, run, season, stage, streak, stretch, term, tide, time, tour, vintage), pjesë (allotment, block, Cantel, Cantle, component, contingent, deal, divvy, helping, interest, kit, leg, length, limb, line, lot, part, partition, patch, piece, portion, proportion, quantum, quota, quotient, rate, scrap, section, segment, share, slice, snack), rrethoj (begird, beleaguer, beset, besiege, border on, circle, circumscribe, circumvent, close in, close on, compass, embosom, embower, encircle, enclose, encompass, engird, engirdle, entwine, envelop, environ, fence in, flank, fold, gird, girdle, hedge in, hem, inclose, invest, lap, leaguer, pocket, rail, rim, ring, round up, surround, wreathe), vërtis (flip, grind, spin, swing, twist, wiggle), kaloj (alternate, beguile, come by, come round, cross, cut, devolve, elapse, exceed, float, get by, glide, go, go by, go off, go past, negotiate, outbalance, overstep, pass, passage, ram, run, run in, rush by, skip, slip by, slip past, spend, strain, take across, track, transcend, transgress, turn, undergo, witness). (various references)

Arabic 

‏مدي (bezel), ‏تجاوز (cap, encroach, encroachment, exceed, excuse, jut, leapfrog, obtrude, omission, outbalance, outmatch, outrun, outstrip, overreach, override, overrun, overtake, overtaking, pass, passing, project, rise, surpass, transcend, transcendence, transgress, trespass), ‏زوج من الحصين, ‏عبر (across, act out, carry, clothe, come, come across, conceive, couch, cross, emit, enunciate, express, express oneself, fly, get through, give voice to, go over, jibe, jump, mouth, navigate, negotiate, pass, phrase, run, signify, slice through, swim, track, trans, transit, ventilate, voice), ‏إمتداد (expansion, extension, extent, length, lengthiness, propagation, protraction, reach, spread, stretch, sweep), ‏إتساع (ampleness, boom, breadth, enlargement, expansion, fullness, fulness, generosity, immenseness, immensity, liberality, propagation, reach, roominess, size, stretch), ‏شبر, ‏بنى جسر. (various references)

Bulgarian 

разпереност за крилата, част от мост между две подпори, късо разстояние, времетраене (continuance, duration, endurance, length, standing), ограничен период от време, обхващам (comprehend, comprise, embed, encompass, envelop, grip, include, obsess, overcome, overtake, pervade, possess, seize, spread, take in), промеждутък (interval), педя (inch), измервам с педя, дължина от край до край. (various references)

Chinese 

跨度 , 间距 (spacing, SPANS). (various references)

Czech

spřežení (set, team), vymìřovat (survey), trvat (insist, last, linger, remain, subsist), rozsah (amount, extension, extent, Gage, gauge, magnitude, range, scope, size, spread), rozpìtí (expansion, reach, spread), přepnout (shunt, switch), přemostit (bridge), překlenout (bridge, cope, heal, vault), píï, oblouk (arc, arch, archway, bow, curve), interval (gap, interval), údobí (era, period). (various references)

Danish

spredning (deconcentration, devolution, dispersal, dispersion, distribution, diverging, probable error, range, regulating, scatter, scattering, shaping, spread, spreading, standard deviation, stray), spand (bucket, pail), spændvidde (range), spænd, skinke (ham), variationsbredde (range), pæleafstand, masteafstand, brofag. (various references)

Dutch

spreidingsbreedte (range, ranging), spanwijdte, span (harness, pair), schenkel (crura, crus, knuckle, oyster, pendant, thigh), veld (field), travee (Bay), range (range), overspanning (bay, surge), omvang van het meetgebied, draagpaalafstand, bereik (range, reach), afwijking (aberrance, aberration, abnormality). (various references)

Farsi 

یک وجب (Hand), فاصله معین , پل بستن , مدت معین (Space), وجب کردن , وجب (Palm), تاق بستن , اندازه گرفتن (Gauge, Measure), اندازه (Bulk, Deal, Dimension, Extent, Gauge, Indicator, Limit, Measure, Quantity, Scale, Size, Tract), ظرفیت (Capacity, Quality, Valence). (various references)

Finnish

SPAN (Parallel computer systems for integrated numeric and symbolic processing), silloittaa (bridge), variaatioväli (range), vaihteluväli (range), vaaksa, parivaljakko, mittausalueen leveys, jänneväli. (various references)

French

envergure (spread), empan. (various references)

German

Spanne (margin, spread, while), Spannweite (range, spread, wingspan, wingspread), Bereich (area, array, bulk, circuit, department, dimension, domain, extend, field, orbit, province, purview, range, realm, region, scope, sector, size, sphere, sweep, territory, universe, zone). (various references)

Greek 

σπιθαμή. (various references)

Hebrew 

משך הזמן (duration, standing, stretch), משך (continuity, drawing, duration, length, prolongation, run, stretch, term), משרע (gamut, range, reach, spectrum, spread), מרוח (clearance, distance, gap, gauge, latitude, respite, room, smeared, space, spread), מרחב חיים (life space), לזרת, לכסות (conceal, cover, hide, muffle, shroud, strew), להמתח מעל, להשתרע על פני, להקיף (circuit, embrace, encircle, encompass, engirdle, gird, girdle, pale, ring, round, surround, take in), לגשר (bridge), ארך (duration, length, longitude), זרת (little finger), צמד (brace, couple, pair, team, twosome), סיט. (various references)

Hungarian

arasz. (various references)

Indonesian

membentangkan (outspan). (various references)

Italian

luce (glare, light, opening, window), campata (bay). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

全長 (over-all length), スパイ罪 (crime of espionage, fastball, ink spattering, slowing down, spaghetti, spaghetti meat sauce, spaghetti Western, span of control, spangle, Spanish, Spanish America, spanner, Spartacus Games, spasm, spats, spatula, speaker, speaker unit, speech, speech therapist, speech therapy, speed, speed ball, speed limit, speed skating, speed up, speed-gun, speedometer, speedway, speedy, spot, student slang for the restaurant chain "Spaghetti Factory", thank you, wrench). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ぜんちょう (harbinger, omen, over-all length, portent, premonition, sign), スパン . (various references)

Korean 

경간 (SPANS). (various references)

Manx

towse ayns reishyn, tammylt (space, spell, time, way, way distance, while), seihll (age, existence, life, lifetime, public, world), reish, reaish (cubit), goll harrish (cross, cross as road, elapse, exceed, get beyond, go over, overpass, roll on, traverse). (various references)

Pig Latin

anspay.(various references)

Portuguese

vão (abortive, aperture, baubling, bay, empty, fruitless, futile, interspace, needless, nugatory, porthole, unavailing, useless, vain). (various references)

Romanian

sector (compartment, field, partition, section, sector, sphere, zone), scurt rãstimp, lega malurile, acoperi (adorn, bedeck, cap, cloak, conceal, cover, deck, defilade, defray, disguise, Harbor, harbour, hide, hood, mantle, obfuscate, overgrow, overlap, overlay, overspread, paint, pepper, protect, roof, sheathe, shelter, sow, straw, suffuse, top, varnish, veil), anvergurã (amplitude, spread, throw), şchioapã, şunta, coardã (chord, cord, rope, skipping rope, string, vein, wire), construi peste, cuprinde (accommodate, admit, aggregate, carry, come over, comprehend, comprise, conquer, contain, cover, embosom, embrace, enlace, envelop, grasp, grip, Harbor, harbour, include, includes, overtake, prepossess, receive, reckon, see, seize), îmbrãţişa (clasp, cuddle, embosom, embrace, enclasp, enfold, enlace, entwine, fold, grasp, hug, wrap), deschidere (aperture, bay, beginning, commencement, loop, opening, spread), trece peste (bestride, bridge, clear, draw, get over, go over, jump, override, overrule, overrun, pass over, stride, surmount, tread), longeron (longeron, outrigger), luminã (culture, glare, glim, glow, illumination, light, lighting, lightness, lucidity, luminous energy, opening, perspective, side light, twinkle), lungime (duration, length, lengthiness), mãsura cu palma, palmã (clout, crack, cuff, palm, slap, spank), perioadã de timp (duration), cuprinde cu privire. (various references)

Russian 

короткое расстояние, измерять расстояние, интервал (interregnum, interspace, interval, monospace, space, spacing), перекрывать (lap, overlap, overlay, re-cover, straddling, wrap over), пролет (aperture, bay, stairwell), пролет в свету, пролетное строение, протянуться, зев гаечного ключа, диапазон (band, communications band, compass, gamut, range), обнять за талию, упряжка парой, ширина (breadth, width), хорда дуги, размах (range, reach, spread, sweep, swing), распределять диапазон, раствор тисков, расход (consumption, cost and handling, disbursements, drain, expenditure, expense, outgo), расстояние между опорами, соединять (amalgamate, associate, band, band together, clutch, coalesce, combine, compound, conjoin, connect, couple, incorporate, inosculate, interlock, join, joint, knit, link, merge, mix, piece together, reunite, splice, unite, yoke together), миг (eyewink, jiff, jiffy, mig, migs, moment, wink). (various references)

Scottish

réis (a race, a span). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

vremenski razmak (interspace), razapeti se nad, raspon, premostiti (bridge), prelaziti (go beyond, run across, transgress, transit), pedalj, obuhvatiti (clasp, comprehend, cover, envelop, implicate, include, involve). (various references)

Spanish

vano (bay, bootless, coquettish, empty, idle, inane, pretty, unavailing, vain, wasted), palmo (hand, palm). (various references)

Swedish

spann (bucket, pail, pailful, pair, spun, team), spännvidd. (various references)

Turkish

sera (conservatory, forcing bed, forcing frame, forcing house, frame, garden frame, glasshouse, greenery, greenhouse, hothouse, orangery, plant-house, stove, winter garden), süre (bout, continuance, duration, interval, length, notice, period, respite, run, screen time, space, stretch, term, time, while), sıkıca bağlamak, karış, çifte koşulmuş öküz, üzerine köprü kurmak, an (flash, instant, jiff, jiffy, minute, moment, point, second, snatch, split second, trice, wink), arabaya koşmak (hitch), germek (bag, distend, draw, hang on, lift, rack, sprawl out, stay, strain, stretch, stretch out, string, tauten, tense, tighten, tighten up), içermek (comprise, contain, cover, embody, encapsulate, enclose, implicate, imply, incapsulate, inclose, include, number, store, subsume), kısa süre (piece, short notice, short time, snatch, spell, streak), çift koşumlu at, kapsamak (be inclusive of, blanket, compass, comprehend, comprise, contain, cover, embrace, encapsulate, enclose, encompass, implicate, incapsulate, inclose, include, involve, subsume), uzatmak (augment, belabor, belabour, continue, drag out, draw out, eke out, elongate, enlarge, extend, grow, hand, hold out, hold over, lengthen, outstretch, pad out, pass, prolong, protract, pull out, rack, reach, renew, repose on, sidestep, spin out, sprawl out, spread, stand over, stick, stick out, stretch, stretch out, turn to, wiredraw), karışla ölçmek, karışlamak, kiriş (balk, baulk, beam, bowstring, catgut, chord, girder, gut, joist, ligament, rafter, rib, sinew, string, stringcourse, Stringer, tendinous, tendon, tie, tie beam, timber, traverse, wire), kolların genişliği, mesafe (breadth, distance, interval, journey, margin, remove, shoot, space, way), kanat genişliği (chord, wingspan, wingspread). (various references)

Turkmen 

bat. (various references)

Ukrainian

інтервал (breach, Interspace, interval, parenthesis, spacing), рихтувати міст, коротка відстань (step), з'єднувати береги, п'ядь (yard), перекривати (bestride, bridge, ceil, imbricate, lap over, oppilate, overlap, overlay, overspan, shut). (various references)

Vietnamese 

nhà hai mái (span roof), con sâu đo (span-worm). (various references)

Welsh

rhychwantu, rhychwant, dyrnfedd (hand-breadth). (various references)

zapah. (various references)

bigae, palmi, palmis, palmo, palmum, palmus. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "span": spanakopita, spanakopitas, spancel, spanceled, spanceling, spancelled, spancelling, spancels, spandex, spandexes, spandrel, spandrels, spandril, spandrils, spang, spangle, spangled, spangles, spanglier, spangliest, spangling, spangly, spaniel, spaniels, spank, spanked, spanker, spankers, spanking, spankings, spanks, spanless, spanned, spanner, spanners, spanning, spanokopita, spanokopitas, spans, spanworm, spanworms. (additional references)

Words ending with "span": inspan, outspan, wingspan. (additional references)

Words containing "span": espanol, espanoles, hispanidad, hispanidads, hispanism, hispanisms, inspanned, inspanning, inspans, outspanned, outspanning, outspans, wingspans. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Span" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: apan, aspan, bspa, cpan, epan, Espgan, Esplan, espn, ppan, saph, sapn, sben, sepan, Sepang, skan, slan, soan, Spaan, Spab, spamn, spang, spann, Spano, spau, Spaw, spaz, spazn, spca, spean, speh, spej, spen, speq, spev, sphan, splane, spon, sppon, spunn, spwan, spyn, sqan, stan, suan, supen, svan, syan. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: naps, pans, snap.

-1 letter: asp, nap, pan, pas, sap, spa.

-2 letters: an, as, na, pa.

+1 letter: aspen, knaps, napes, neaps, nipas, pains, panes, pangs, pansy, pants, pawns, peans, pians, pinas, plans, punas, snaps, sneap, spang, spank, spans, spawn, spean.

+2 letters: apneas, aprons, arpens, aspens, capons, inspan, japans, lapins, nappes, nopals, paeans, paeons, paesan, pagans, paints, paisan, pandas, panels, pangas, panics, pannes, pantos, parson, patens, patins, pavans, pavins, peasen, pecans, pekans, pianos, pinnas, pintas, plains, planes, planks, plants, prangs, pranks, prawns, ptisan, punkas, pyrans, sampan, sannop, sannup, shapen, shnaps, snappy, sneaps, spanks, spavin, spawns, speans, spinal, sprain, sprang, ulpans, uncaps, unsnap, yapons.