span

The word “span” means the distance or length between two points, edges, or supports. In plain terms, a stretch of distance, time, or coverage — or the act of reaching across it.

“Span” is pronounced span (/spæn/ in IPA).

Here is “span” used in a sentence: “The bridge has a span of nearly two kilometers.”

Depending on how it is used, “span” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “span” comes from Old English. From Old English spann, going back to a Germanic root meaning "to stretch.".

“Span” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Span” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the distance or length between two points, edges, or supports.

A bridge's span is the distance between two of its supports, such as piers or towers, or the section of deck that crosses that distance. A long bridge may consist of several spans, and the longest single span is often quoted as a measure of the structure's scale.

An attention span is the length of time a person can concentrate on one task or subject before becoming distracted. It uses span in its time sense, a stretch or period of time, and commonly appears in phrases like "a short attention span".

Both spellings are in use: some dictionaries enter it as one word, lifespan, while others prefer life span as two words. Whichever form you choose, it means the length of time a person, animal or thing lives or lasts, and consistency within a document is what matters.

Yes. As a verb, span means to extend across or over something, in space or in time: "the bridge spans the river" and "her career spanned four decades". The past tense and past participle are spanned.