n.
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English spann; akin to Old High German spanna span, Middle Dutch spannen to stretch, hitch up
Date: before 12th century
1 : the distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger of a spread hand also : an English unit of length equal to nine inches (22.9 centimeters)
2 : an extent, stretch, reach, or spread between two limits: as a : a limited space (as of time) especially : an individual's lifetime b : the spread or extent between abutments or supports (as of a bridge) also : a portion thus supported c : the maximum distance laterally from tip to tip of an airplane