span

A short amount of time or a small distance.

• His attention span is short.
• A lot happened in that brief span of time.
• The two windows are separated by a narrow span of wall.

How to use it: a span of something (The changes happened within a span of three days.)

Similar words: interval, stretch

Common phrases: attention span, a short span, span of time

The distance between your thumb and little finger when your hand is stretched open.

• The bowl is one span wide.
• He measured the board using the span of his hand.
• Her hand has a larger span than mine.

Similar words: handspan

Common phrases: a hand span, span of something, one span wide

An old unit of length based on an open hand, traditionally about twenty-three centimetres in England.

• An English span equals nine inches.
• The old record gives the length in spans.
• The cloth measured three spans across.

Similar words: handspan

Common phrases: an English span, one span long, two span lengths

To reach from one side of a gap or open space to the other.

• A bridge spans the river.
• The fallen tree spanned the narrow stream.
• Two stone arches span the entrance.

Similar words: cross, bridge, stretch across

Common phrases: span a river, span the gap, span a valley

To spread over the whole of an area or distance.

• The park spans fifty acres.
• Their farms span a large area of the valley.
• The railway network spans the entire country.

Similar words: cover, extend over, stretch across

Common phrases: span three acres, span an area, span several miles

To measure something using the width of your open hand or your fingers around it.

• She spanned the board with her hand.
• He spanned the cylinder with his fingers.
• They spanned the distance instead of using a ruler.

How to use it: span something with something (He spanned the board with his outstretched hand.)

Similar words: measure by hand

Common phrases: span a distance, span a cylinder, span with something