span
span
/spæn/
1 span something to last all through a period of time or to cover the whole of it
His acting career spanned 55 years.
Family photos spanning five generations were stolen.
2 span something to include a large area or a lot of things
The operation, which spanned nine countries, resulted in 200 arrests.
His experience spanned not merely politics, but also business and journalism.
3 span something to stretch right across something, from one side to the other
a series of bridges spanning the river
The roof was spanned by curved ribs of steel.
span
/spæn/
1 the length of time that something lasts or is able to continue
I worked with him over a span of six years.
The project must be completed within a specific time span.
a study of the entire span of Arab history
The book covers the entire span of Arab history.
The speech continued well beyond its allotted span.
to prolong life beyond its natural span
I worked with him several times over a span of six years.
Collocations
adjective
longbriefshort…
verb + span
cover
preposition
over a/the span
phrases
a span of timea span of years
2 span (of something) a range or variety of something
Managers have a wide span of control.
These forests cover a broad span of latitudes.
Managers have a wide span of responsibilities.
a broad span of interests
Collocations
adjective
full
broad
wide
3 the part of a bridge or an arch between one support and another
The bridge crosses the river in a single span.
4 the measurement of something from one side to the other
The kite has a span of 1.5 metres.
The bridge has 10 arches, each of a 30-foot span.
The bridge has a clear span of 120 feet.
e.g.
span
/spæn/
Idioms
Word Origin
Old English, ‘distance between the tips of the thumb and little finger’, of Germanic origin; reinforced in Middle English by Old French espan.