Spin vs Span - What's the difference?
spin | span |
(ergative) To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
* Longfellow
To make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together.
* Prior
To present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance.
* {{quote-news, year=2006, date=February 9, title=The Politics of Science, work=The Washington Post
, passage=In every administration there will be spokesmen and public affairs officers who try to spin' the news to make the president look good. But this administration is trying to ' spin scientific data and muzzle scientists toward that end.}}
(cricket, of a bowler) To make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch.
(cricket, of a ball) To move sideways when bouncing.
(cooking) To form into thin strips or ribbons, as with sugar
To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, etc.) 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.
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.
To move swiftly.
To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet.
To twist (hay) into ropes for convenient carriage on an expedition.
(computing, programming, intransitive) To wait in a loop until some condition becomes true.
Circular motion.
(physics) A quantum angular momentum associated with subatomic particles, which also creates a magnetic moment.
A favourable comment or interpretation intended to bias opinion on an otherwise unpleasant situation.
(sports) Rotation of the ball as it flies through the air; sideways movement of the ball as it bounces.
A condition of flight where a stalled aircraft is simultaneously pitching, yawing and rolling in a spinning motion.
A brief trip by vehicle.
A bundle of spun material; a mass of strands and filaments.
* 1913 , DH Lawrence,
(cricket) Describing a spin bowler, or his style of bowling.
The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom.
Hence, a small space or a brief portion of time.
* Alexander Pope
* Farquhar
* 2007 . Zerzan, John. Silence .
The spread or extent of an arch or between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between supports.
The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.
(nautical) 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.
(obsolete) A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
(mathematics) the space of all linear combinations of something
To traverse the distance between.
To cover or extend over an area or time period.
* Prescott
To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object.
* Bible, Isa. xiviii. 13
(mathematics) to generate an entire space by means of linear combinations
(intransitive, US, dated) To be matched, as horses.
To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
(archaic, nonstandard) (spin)
*
* '>citation
*:a giant pick-up truck span out of control during a stunt show in a Dutch town, killing three people
As a noun spin
is spin.As an adjective span is
hairless, glabrous.spin
English
Verb
- I spun myself around a few times.
- Spin the ball on the floor.
- The Earth spins with a period of one day.
- She spun around and gave him a big smile.
- Round about him spun the landscape, / Sky and forest reeled together.
- They spin the cotton into thread.
- They neither know to spin , nor care to toil.
citation
- to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc.
- Blood spins from a vein.
- (Shakespeare)
Synonyms
* (give something a favorable appearance) whitewash, sugarcoat, put lipstick on, gild, blandish, dress upHypernyms
* revolve * rotate * turnDerived terms
* respin * spin one's wheels * spin out * spinsterSee also
* turn aroundNoun
(en noun)- The car went into a spin .
- The skaters demonstrated their spins .
- ''He put some spin on the cue ball.
- One of the planet's moons has a slower spin than the others.
- She left him alone, and went to get Annie a spin of toffee.
Derived terms
* backspin * Biellmann spin * camel spin * layback spin * media spin * parallel spin * sidespin * sit spin * spin doctor * take for a spin * topspin * upright spinAdjective
(-)span
English
Etymology 1
(etyl) spannNoun
(en noun)- Yet not to earth's contracted span / Thy goodness let me bound.
- Life's but a span ; I'll every inch enjoy.
- The unsilent present is a time of evaporating attention spans ,
Etymology 2
Old English spannanVerb
(spann)- The suspension bridge spanned the canyon as tenuously as one could imagine.
- The parking lot spans three acres.
- The novel spans three centuries.
- World record! 5 GHz WiFi connection spans 189 miles. [http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/27/world-record-5ghz-wifi-connection-spans-189-miles/]
- The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
- to span''' a space or distance; to '''span a cylinder
- My right hand hath spanned the heavens.