/ik spans"/ , n.
1. an uninterrupted space or area; a wide extent of anything: an expanse of water.
2. something that is spread out, esp. over a relatively large area: that great expanse, the sky.
3. expansion; extension: the wide expanse of scientific knowledge.
[ 1660-70; expansum, n. use of neut. of L expansus, ptp. of expandere to EXPAND ]
Syn. 1. sweep, reach, range, stretch.