the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended.
a unit of length corresponding to this distance, commonly taken as 9 inches (23 centimeters).
a distance, amount, piece, etc., of this length or of some small extent.
a span of lace.
Civil Engineering, Architecture.
the distance between two supports of a structure.
the structure so supported.
the distance or space between two supports of a bridge.
the full extent, stretch, or reach of anything.
a long span of memory.
Aeronautics. the distance between the wing tips of an airplane.
a limited space of time, as the term or period of living.
Our span on earth is short.
Mathematics. the smallest subspace of a vector space that contains a given element or set of elements.
to measure by the hand with the thumb and little finger extended.
to encircle with the hand or hands, as the waist.
to extend over or across (a section of land, a river, etc.).
to provide with something that extends over.
to span a river with a bridge.
to extend or reach over (space or time).
a memory that spans 90 years.
Mathematics. to function (in a subspace of a vector space) as a span.
Archery. to bend (the bow) in preparation for shooting.
Spaniard.
Spanish.
the interval, space, or distance between two points, such as the ends of a bridge or arch
the complete duration or extent
the span of his life
psychol the amount of material that can be processed in a single mental act
apprehension span
span of attention
short for wingspan
a unit of length based on the width of an expanded hand, usually taken as nine inches
to stretch or extend across, over, or around
to provide with something that extends across or around
to span a river with a bridge
to measure or cover, esp with the extended hand
See pair.
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun spanne, sponne, spayn, Old English span(n), spon(n); cognate with German Spanne, Dutch span, Old Norse spǫnn; the verb is derivative of the noun
An Americanism dating to 1760–70; from Dutch: “team (of oxen, horses)”
Any distance between two things is called a span. These end points can be physical, like the span of a rope between two trees, or they can be more abstract, such as the span of time between five and six o'clock. Span comes from the Old English spann, the width of the stretched-out hand, measured from thumb to little finger. It came to refer to various other measurements, such as the distance across an arch. The first reference to a length of time came in the late 16th century, and the phrase "attention span" first appeared in 1922 (as "span of attention").
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We were watching our rent double or triple in the span of a year or two," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Subsequent research has connected it to improved insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular protection, longer life span, and the preservation of cognitive function.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Clements spent most of his career walking people through steps like this, just with a much longer time span envisioned.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Only Brazil has won that many titles in so short a span.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Afterward he told my parents my brain seemed okay and I should have a normal life span.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
It is an adaptation of the Fr. guise, Span. guisa.
From The Bible in Spain - Vol. 2 [of 2] by Borrow, George Henry
Stories of Californian life often mention Span. reata, a tethering rope, from the verb reatar, to bind together, Lat. re-aptare.
From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest
Carib, the n being perhaps due to contamination with Span. canino, canine, voracious.
From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest
Comrade is from Fr. camarade, and this from Span. camarada, originally a "room-full," called in the French army une chambrée.
From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest
It corresponds to an Old Fr. bicoquet and Span. bicoquete, cap, the derivation of which is uncertain.
From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest
To quantify a career like Neill’s is impossible, but “Jurassic Park” points to a trend that spanned his filmography, even defined it.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Widdecombe's political career spanned decades, serving as MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, before going on to join Reform UK.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Robins’s career has spanned advertising, sports marketing and ownership of a junior hockey team.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
The search spanned roughly 2,400 square miles and involved officials from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force who used three surface ships and 12 aircraft.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
The bridge spanned a dry gully, which sheltered them as they slept.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
Neill was a consummate character actor, hard-working and driven by a love for his craft, with a filmography spanning decades and roles that touched countless lives.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Over a career spanning more than five decades, he amassed more than 150 screen credits.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
To investigate Mount Etna's history, the researchers analyzed rock samples spanning roughly 500,000 years of volcanic activity.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
Serving up heaps of fatty cabeza and sizzling al pastor, it grew to nearly a dozen locations spanning from Long Beach to L.A. to the Antelope Valley, drawing praise from prominent food critics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
“How could a wall spanning the kingdom be defended? There would never be enough soldiers to guard something so vast! What does this Tiger Emperor want?”
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.