Span

Pronunciation: /spæn/

Definitions of span

noun a distance, extent, or period of time between two points or events

Example Sentences

A1 The span of the bridge is 100 meters.

A2 The span of time between the two events was only a few minutes.

B1 The span of the project will be six months.

B2 The span of her career as an actress lasted over 20 years.

C1 The span of the novel covers several generations.

C2 The span of his influence in the industry is undeniable.

verb to extend across or over

Example Sentences

A1 The bridge spans the river.

A2 The project will span over three months.

B1 The novel spans several generations.

B2 The new highway will span across the entire state.

C1 His career as a musician spanned over four decades.

C2 The artist's work spans multiple mediums and styles.

Examples of span in a Sentence

formal The bridge has a span of 500 meters, making it one of the longest in the region.

informal I can't believe the span of time it took for them to finish construction on that building.

slang Her attention span is so short, she can never focus on one thing for too long.

figurative The span of his influence reaches far and wide, impacting many people.

Grammatical Forms of span

• past tense: spanned
• plural: spans
• comparative: spanner
• superlative: spannest
• present tense: span
• future tense: will span
• perfect tense: has spanned
• continuous tense: is spanning
• singular: span
• positive degree: span
• infinitive: to span
• gerund: spanning
• participle: spanned

Origin and Evolution of span

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'span' originated from Old English 'spann' which referred to the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'span' evolved to also mean a unit of measurement equal to the distance between the tip of the thumb and the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended. It further evolved to refer to the length of something from end to end, such as a bridge or a pair of wings.