noun
span
span
noun
1
The distance or length between two points, edges, or supports.
"The bridge has a span of nearly two kilometers."
"The eagle's wingspan reached almost two meters."
2
A stretch or period of time.
"Her career spanned a remarkable span of forty years."
verb
1
To extend across or over something.
"The new bridge spans the entire river valley."
"His research spans several different fields of science."
How to Use Span
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA stretch of distance, time, or coverage — or the act of reaching across it.
Common pairings
span of time
attention span
bridge spans the river
Word Forms
spanned past tense, spans plural, Spans plural, spans singular
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The bridge has a _____ of nearly two kilometers.
Etymology
From Old English spann, going back to a Germanic root meaning "to stretch."