1. To cover or extend over an area or time period
   "The parking lot spans 3 acres"; "The novel spans three centuries";
   - cross, traverse, sweep
    
2. (mathematics) generate an entire space by means of linear combinations
   "These vectors span the three-dimensional Euclidean space"
    
3. [archaic] (old) past tense of spin
   "He span the wheel to determine the winner"

1. The complete duration of something
   "the job was finished in the span of an hour"
    
2. The distance or interval between two points
   "The span of the bridge connected the two sides of the canyon"
    
3. A structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
   "The Golden Gate Bridge spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay";
   - bridge
    
4. Two items of the same kind
   - couple, pair, twosome, twain, brace, yoke, couplet, duo, duet, dyad, duad
    
5. A unit of length based on the width of the expanded human hand (usually taken as 9 inches)
   "The carpenter estimated the width of the board to be about two spans"
    
6. The act of sitting or standing astride
   "His span of the motorcycle was confident and natural";
   - straddle

Derived forms: spanned, spanning, spans

Type of: 2, construction, continuance, continue, cover, distance, duration, extend, II, linear measure, linear unit, motility, motion, move, movement, structure, two

Part of: transit [N. Amer], transportation, transportation system

Encyclopedia: Span, Brian