Spanning

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              My right hand hath spanned the heavens. --Isa.
                                                    xiviii. 13.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To reach from one side of to the order; to stretch over as
        an arch.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
                                                    --prescott.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  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}, {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}]
       6: the act of sitting or standing astride [syn: {straddle}]
       v : 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}, {sweep}]
       [also: {spanning}, {spanned}]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  spanning
       See {span}