span

IPA: spˈæn

The full width of an open hand from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger used as an informal unit of length.
Any of various traditional units of length approximating this distance, especially the English handspan of 9 inches forming ⅛ fathom and equivalent to 22.86 cm.
(by extension) A small space or a brief portion of time.
A portion of something by length; a subsequence.
(architecture, construction) The spread or extent of an arch or between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between supports.
(architecture, construction) The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.
(nautical) 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.
(US, Canada) A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
(mathematics) The space of all linear combinations of vectors within a set.
(computing) The time required to execute a parallel algorithm on an infinite number of processors, i.e. the shortest distance across a directed acyclic graph representing the computation steps.
wingspan of a plane or bird
A surname.
Acronym of Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network.
(computing) Acronym of Switched Port Analyzer, a Cisco technology

(transitive) To extend through the distance between or across.
(transitive) To extend through (a time period).
(transitive) To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object.
(mathematics) To generate an entire space by means of linear combinations.
(intransitive, US, dated) To be matched, as horses.
(transitive) To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.

Examples of "span" in Sentences

The bridge spanned across the river, connecting the two sides of the city
Her career in acting has spanned over two decades, with many successful roles
The project will span several months, requiring dedication and hard work from all team members
The novel's narrative spanned generations, revealing the intricate relationships between family members
The distance that the marathon runners had to span was grueling, but they pushed through to reach the finish line