Spans

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. To stretch or extend across a certain area or length of time ; to function as a structural link or support between two points
2. To cover or reach over a space or duration ; to serve as a connection that holds or bears weight
3. To spread out over a given distance or interval ; to act as something that connects or sustains structure between endpoints

Etymology: The plural "spans" is simply the plural of "span", so the story is really about the noun. Its oldest sense was physical: the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger on a outstretched hand, roughly a handbreadth. That measure comes from Old English "spann", inherited from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to stretch", which also gave us the verb "spannan", the ancestor of "to span" and the word for stretching a rope or cord. From that handful-sized measure, "span" widened to mean any stretch between two points, including the distance a bridge covers between its supports and the length of time something lasts. The verb took the same path, moving from stretching a cord to bridging a gap. A separate noun, "span" meaning a pair of horses harnessed together, comes from a different Old English word, "gespann", meaning a joining or yoke. Its shared ancestry with the measure sense is uncertain, so it is best treated as a homonym.

Synonyms: extends, covers, encompasses, bridges

Antonyms: contracts, shrinks