Definition of span - WordReference.com Dictionary

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span:

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Adapted From: WordNet 2.0 Copyright 2003 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

span
A	noun
	1	straddle, span
			the act of sitting or standing astride
		Category Tree: act; human action; human activity ╚action ╚change ╚motion; movement; move; motility ╚straddle, span
	2	bridge, span
			a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
		Category Tree: entity ╚object; physical object ╚artifact; artefact ╚structure; construction ╚bridge, span ╚pontoon bridge; bateau bridge; floating bridge ╚overpass; flyover; flypast ╚footbridge; overcrossing; pedestrian bridge ╚drawbridge; lift bridge ╚covered bridge ╚cattle guard; cattle grid ╚cantilever bridge ╚Bailey bridge
	3	span
			the distance or interval between two points
		Category Tree: abstraction ╚relation ╚position; spatial relation ╚placement; arrangement ╚spacing; spatial arrangement ╚distance ╚span
	4	span
			a unit of length based on the width of the expanded human hand (usually taken as 9 inches)
		Category Tree: abstraction ╚measure; quantity; amount ╚linear measure; long measure ╚linear unit ╚span
	5	couple, pair, twosome, twain, brace, span, yoke, couplet, distich, duo, duet, dyad, duad
			two items of the same kind
		Category Tree: abstraction ╚measure; quantity; amount ╚definite quantity ╚number ╚integer; whole number ╚digit; figure ╚two; 2; II; deuce ╚couple, pair, twosome, twain, brace, span, yoke, couplet, distich, duo, duet, dyad, duad ╚doubleton
	6	span
			the complete duration of something; "the job was finished in the span of an hour"
		Category Tree: abstraction ╚measure; quantity; amount ╚fundamental quantity; fundamental measure ╚time period; period of time; period ╚duration; continuance ╚span ╚attention span
B	verb
	1	cross, traverse, span, sweep
			to cover or extend over an area or time period; "Rivers traverse the valley floor", "The parking lot spans 3 acres"; "The novel spans three centuries"
		Category Tree: be ╚cover; extend ╚cross, traverse, span, sweep

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Forum discussions with the word(s) 'span' in the title:

spick-and-span
Span-of-control
gabled, ridged, saddle span roof?
Life lenght/Life span
"span" past tense of "spin"?
span the channel
attention span
stint, sentence, span, run, service
allotted span
Spic and span
Span
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