[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

span \span\, archaic
   imp.  p. p. of spin.
   1913 webster
see also:
spin 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

span \span\, n. as. spann; akin to d. span, ohg. spanna, g.
   spanne, icel. sp"onn. root170. see span, v. t. 
   1. the space from the thumb to the end of the little finger
      when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom.
      1913 webster

   2. hence, a small space or a brief portion of time.
      1913 webster

            yet not to earth's contracted span
            thy goodness let me bound.            --pope.
      1913 webster

            life's but a span; i'll every inch enjoy.
                                                  --farquhar.
      1913 webster

   3. the spread or extent of an arch between its abutments, or
      of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like,
      between its supports.
      1913 webster

   4. naut. a rope having its ends made fast so that a
      purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made
      fast in the center so that both ends can be used.
      1913 webster

   5. cf. d. span, sw. spann, dan. spaend, g. gespann. see
      span, v. t.  a pair of horses or other animals driven
      together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in
      color, form, and action.
      1913 webster

   span blocks naut., blocks at the topmast and
      topgallant-mast heads, for the studding-sail halyards.

   span counter, an old english child's game, in which one
      throws a counter on the ground, and another tries to hit
      it with his counter, or to get his counter so near it that
      he can span the space between them, and touch both the
      counters. --halliwell. "henry v., in whose time boys went
      to span counter for french crowns." --shak.

   span iron naut., a special kind of harpoon, usually
      secured just below the gunwale of a whaleboat.

   span roof, a common roof, having two slopes and one ridge,
      with eaves on both sides. --gwilt.

   span shackle naut., a large bolt driven through the
      forecastle deck, with a triangular shackle in the head to
      receive the heel of the old-fashioned fish davit. --ham.
      nav. encyc.
      1913 webster
see also:
span span blocks span counter span iron span roof span shackle 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

span \span\, v. t. imp.  p. p. spanned; p. pr.  vb. n.
   spanning. as. pannan; akin to d.  g. spannen, ohg.
   spannan, sw. spaumnna, dan. spaende, icel. spenna, and
   perh. to gr. ? to draw, to drag, l. spatium space. root170.
   cf. spin, v. t., space, spasm.
   1. to measure by the span of the hand with the fingers
      extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object; as,
      to span a space or distance; to span a cylinder.
      1913 webster

            my right hand hath spanned the heavens. --isa.
                                                  xiviii. 13.
      1913 webster

   2. to reach from one side of to the order; to stretch over as
      an arch.
      1913 webster

            the rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
                                                  --prescott.
      1913 webster

   3. to fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
      1913 webster
see also:
spanned spanning spin space spasm 

[4] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

span \span\, v. i.
   to be matched, as horses. u. s.
   1913 webster

[5] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

spin \spin\ spi^n, v. t. imp.  p. p. spunarchaic imp.
   span; p. pr.  vb. n. spinning. as. spinnan; akin to
   d.  g. spinnen, icel.  sw. spinna, dan. spinde, goth.
   spinnan, and probably to e. span. root170. cf. span, v.
   t., spider.
   1. to draw out, and twist into threads, either by the hand or
      machinery; as, to spin wool, cotton, or flax; to spin
      goat's hair; to produce by drawing out and twisting a
      fibrous material.
      1913 webster

            all the yarn she penelope spun in ulysses' absence
            did but fill ithaca full of moths.    --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. to draw out tediously; to form by a slow process, or by
      degrees; to extend to a great length; -- with out; as, to
      spin out large volumes on a subject.
      1913 webster

            do you mean that story is tediously spun out?
                                                  --sheridan.
      1913 webster

   3. to protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day
      in idleness.
      1913 webster

            by one delay after another they spin out their whole
            lives.                                --l'estrange.
      1913 webster

   4. to cause to turn round rapidly; to whirl; to twirl; as, to
      spin a top.
      1913 webster

   5. to form a web, a cocoon, silk, or the like from threads
      produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid,
      which hardens on coming into contact with the air; -- said
      of the spider, the silkworm, etc.
      1913 webster

   6. mech. to shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow
      form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it
      with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal
      revolves, as in a lathe.
      1913 webster

   to spin a yarn naut., to tell a story, esp. a long or
      fabulous tale.

   to spin hay mil., to twist it into ropes for convenient
      carriage on an expedition.

   to spin street yarn, to gad about gossiping. collog.
      1913 webster
see also:
spun span spinning spider to spin a yarn to spin hay 
to spin street yarn 

[6] : WordNet (r) 2.0

span
     n 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 syn: couple, pair, twosome,
         twain, brace, yoke, couplet, distich, duo, duet,
         dyad, duad
     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. syn: bridge
     6: the act of sitting or standing astride syn: straddle
     v : 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" syn: cross,
         traverse, sweep
     also: spanning, spanned
see also:
couple pair twosome twain brace yoke 
couplet distich duo duet dyad 
duad bridge straddle cross traverse 
sweep spanning spanned 

[7] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

306 moby thesaurus words for "span":
   bifrost, a breath, accouple, accumulate, ace, aesthetic distance,
   agglutinate, amass, amplitude, appraise, appreciate, apse, arcade,
   arcature, arch, arch over, arched roof, archway, articulate, assay,
   assemble, assess, associate, band, bascule bridge, bateau bridge,
   beam, bestraddle, bestride, bit, bond, both, bowshot, brace,
   bracket, breadth, bridge, bridge over, brief span, broadness,
   calculate, calibrate, caliper, camber, cantilever bridge, carry,
   catwalk, ceilinged roof, cement, chain, check a parameter,
   clap together, clearance, close quarters, close range, collect,
   combine, compass, comprise, compute, concameration, concatenate,
   concha, conglobulate, conjoin, conjugate, connect, copulate,
   couple, couple up, couplet, course, cove, cover, crack, cross,
   cupola, day, deep space, depths of space, dial, distance,
   distance across, distich, divergence, divide, dome, double harness,
   double-harness, double-team, doublet, drawbridge, duad, duet, duo,
   duration, dyad, earreach, earshot, embrace, encompass, environ,
   equipage, estimate, evaluate, expanse, extend, extend over,
   extension, extent, farness, fateful moment, fathom,
   floating bridge, flyover, footbridge, four-in-hand, fullness,
   gangboard, gangplank, gangway, gather, gauge, geodesic dome, glue,
   go, go out, go over, graduate, gunshot, hair, hair space,
   hairbreadth, hairsbreadth, hang over, hold, hour, igloo, imbricate,
   inch, include, infinity, instant, interval, join, juncture, jut,
   kairos, keystone, knot, lap, lap over, latitude, lay together,
   league, leeway, length, lengthiness, lie, lie over, lift bridge,
   light-years, linear measures, link, little, little bit,
   little ways, little while, long time, longitude, longness,
   lump together, margin, marry, marshal, mass, match, mate, mates,
   measure, mensurate, merge, mete, meter, mileage, minute, mobilize,
   moment, moment of truth, no time, ogive, overall length, overarch,
   overbridge, overcrossing, overhang, overlap, overlie, overpass,
   override, pace, pair, pair of winks, pair off, parsecs, period,
   perpetuity, perspective, piece, piece together, pistol shot, plumb,
   point, pontoon bridge, pregnant moment, prize, probe,
   psychological moment, put together, quantify, quantize, randem,
   range, rate, reach, reach out, remoteness, rig, roll into one,
   rope bridge, run, season, separation, set of two, shingle,
   short distance, short piece, short spell, short time, short way,
   size, size up, skewback, small space, solder, sound, space, spell,
   spike, spike team, spitting distance, splice, spread, spurt, stage,
   step, stepping-stone, stepstone, stick together, straddle, stretch,
   stretch out, stride, surround, survey, suspension bridge, sweep,
   swing bridge, take a reading, take in, tandem, tape, team, team up,
   term, the two, three-up, thrust out, tie, time, time lag,
   toll bridge, triangulate, turnout, twain, two, two shakes, twosome,
   unicorn, unify, unite, valuate, value, vault, vaulting, viaduct,
   voussoir, way, ways, weigh, weld, while, wideness, width, yardage,
   yoke

Span >> S Words
Span, definition of term: Span
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