Result from Foreign Dictionaries (7 entries 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 The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Span \Span\, archaic imp. & p. p. of {Spin}. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Span \Span\, n. [AS. spann; akin to D. span, OHG. spanna, G. spanne, Icel. sp["o]nn. [root]170. See {Span}, v. t. ] 1. The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence, a small space or a brief portion of time. [1913 Webster] Yet not to earth's contracted span Thy goodness let me bound. --Pope. [1913 Webster] Life's but a span; I'll every inch enjoy. --Farquhar. [1913 Webster] 3. The spread or extent of an arch between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between its supports. [1913 Webster] 4. (Naut.) A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made fast in the center so that both ends can be used. [1913 Webster] 5. [Cf. D. span, Sw. spann, Dan. spaend, G. gespann. See {Span}, v. t. ] A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action. [1913 Webster] {Span blocks} (Naut.), blocks at the topmast and topgallant-mast heads, for the studding-sail halyards. {Span counter}, an old English child's game, in which one throws a counter on the ground, and another tries to hit it with his counter, or to get his counter so near it that he can span the space between them, and touch both the counters. --Halliwell. "Henry V., in whose time boys went to span counter for French crowns." --Shak. {Span iron} (Naut.), a special kind of harpoon, usually secured just below the gunwale of a whaleboat. {Span roof}, a common roof, having two slopes and one ridge, with eaves on both sides. --Gwilt. {Span shackle} (Naut.), a large bolt driven through the forecastle deck, with a triangular shackle in the head to receive the heel of the old-fashioned fish davit. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Span \Span\, v. i. To be matched, as horses. [U. S.] [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Spin \Spin\ (sp[i^]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spun}(Archaic imp. {Span}); p. pr. & vb. n. {Spinning}.] [AS. spinnan; akin to D. & G. spinnen, Icel. & Sw. spinna, Dan. spinde, Goth. spinnan, and probably to E. span. [root]170. Cf. {Span}, v. t., {Spider}.] 1. To draw out, and twist into threads, either by the hand or machinery; as, to spin wool, cotton, or flax; to spin goat's hair; to produce by drawing out and twisting a fibrous material. [1913 Webster] All the yarn she [Penelope] spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. To draw out tediously; to form by a slow process, or by degrees; to extend to a great length; -- with out; as, to spin out large volumes on a subject. [1913 Webster] Do you mean that story is tediously spun out? --Sheridan. [1913 Webster] 3. To protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day in idleness. [1913 Webster] By one delay after another they spin out their whole lives. --L'Estrange. [1913 Webster] 4. To cause to turn round rapidly; to whirl; to twirl; as, to spin a top. [1913 Webster] 5. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, or the like) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; -- said of the spider, the silkworm, etc. [1913 Webster] 6. (Mech.) To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe. [1913 Webster] {To spin a yarn} (Naut.), to tell a story, esp. a long or fabulous tale. {To spin hay} (Mil.), to twist it into ropes for convenient carriage on an expedition. {To spin street yarn}, to gad about gossiping. [Collog.] [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [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}, {span}, {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}, {span}] 6: the act of sitting or standing astride [syn: {straddle}, {span}] v 1: 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}, {span}, {sweep}] From Dutch-English Freedict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 [fd-nld-eng]: span /spɑn/ 1. harness 2. pair