[syn: cross, traverse, span, sweep]
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. sp[aum]nna, Dan. spaende, Icel. spenna, and
perh. to Gr. ? to draw, to drag, L. spatium space. [root]170.
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.
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My right hand hath spanned the heavens. --Isa.
xiviii. 13.
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2. To reach from one side of to the order; to stretch over as
an arch.
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The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
--prescott.
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3. To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Span \Span\, archaic
imp. & p. p. of Spin.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Span \Span\, n. [AS. spann; akin to D. span, OHG. spanna, G.
spanne, Icel. sp["o]nn. [root]170. 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.
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2. Hence, a small space or a brief portion of time.
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Yet not to earth's contracted span
Thy goodness let me bound. --Pope.
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Life's but a span; I'll every inch enjoy.
--Farquhar.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Span \Span\, v. i.
To be matched, as horses. [U. S.]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Spin \Spin\ (sp[i^]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spun(Archaic 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. [root]170. 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.
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All the yarn she [Penelope] spun in Ulysses' absence
did but fill Ithaca full of moths. --Shak.
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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.
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Do you mean that story is tediously spun out?
--Sheridan.
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3. To protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day
in idleness.
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By one delay after another they spin out their whole
lives. --L'Estrange.
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4. To cause to turn round rapidly; to whirl; to twirl; as, to
spin a top.
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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.
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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.
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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.]
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
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, span, 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, span]
6: the act of sitting or standing astride [syn: straddle,
span]
v 1: 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, span, sweep]
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