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Span vs Stretch - What's the difference?

span | stretch |

In nautical terms the difference between span and stretch

is that span is 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 while stretch is to sail by the wind under press of canvas.

As nouns the difference between span and stretch

is that span is the space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom while stretch is an act of stretching.

As verbs the difference between span and stretch

is that span is to traverse the distance between while stretch is to lengthen by pulling.

As an acronym SPAN

is suicide Prevention Advocacy Network.

span

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) spann

Noun

(en noun)
  • 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
  • Yet not to earth's contracted span / Thy goodness let me bound.
  • * Farquhar
  • Life's but a span ; I'll every inch enjoy.
  • * 2007 . Zerzan, John. Silence .
  • The unsilent present is a time of evaporating attention spans ,
  • 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
  • Etymology 2

    Old English spannan

    Verb

    (spann)
  • To traverse the distance between.
  • The suspension bridge spanned the canyon as tenuously as one could imagine.
  • To cover or extend over an area or time period.
  • 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/]
  • * Prescott
  • The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
  • To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object.
  • to span''' a space or distance; to '''span a cylinder
  • * Bible, Isa. xiviii. 13
  • My right hand hath spanned the heavens.
  • (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.
  • Etymology 3

    Verb

    (head)
  • (archaic, nonstandard) (spin)
  • *
  • * '>citation
  • *:a giant pick-up truck span out of control during a stunt show in a Dutch town, killing three people
  • stretch

    English

    Verb

  • (label) To lengthen by pulling.
  • (label) To lengthen when pulled.
  • * Boyle
  • The inner membrane because it would stretch and yield, remained unbroken.
  • (label) To pull tight.
  • To get more use than expected from a limited resource.
  • To make inaccurate by exaggeration.
  • (label) To extend physically, especially from limit point to limit point.
  • * , chapter=1
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned,
  • To extend one’s limbs or another part of the body in order to improve the elasticity of one's muscles
  • (label) To extend to a limit point
  • (label) To increase.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 29, author=Neil Johnston, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Norwich 3-3 Blackburn , passage=Yakubu took advantage of John Ruddy's error to put the visitors back in front, with Chris Samba's header stretching their advantage.}}
  • To stretch the truth; to exaggerate.
  • a man apt to stretch in his report of facts
  • (label) To sail by the wind under press of canvas.
  • The ship stretched to the eastward.

    Noun

    (es)
  • An act of stretching.
  • I was right in the middle of a stretch when the phone rang.
    To say crossing the street was brave was quite a stretch.
  • The ability to lengthen when pulled.
  • That rubber band has quite a bit of stretch.
  • A course of thought which diverts from straightforward logic, or requires extraordinary belief.
  • It's a bit of a stretch to call Boris Karloff a comedian.
  • A segment of a journey or route.
  • It was an easy trip except for the last stretch , which took forever.
  • (label) A quick pitching delivery used when runners are on base where the pitcher slides his leg instead of lifting it.
  • (label) A long reach in the direction of the ball with a foot remaining on the base by a first baseman in order to catch the ball sooner.
  • A length of time.
  • He did a 7-year stretch in jail.
  • *
  • After the harvest there was a stretch of clear dry weather, and the animals toiled harder than ever
  • (label) A term of address for a tall person
  • * 2007 , Michael Farrell, Running with Buffalo
  • *:“Hey, Stretch ,” he shouted at a tall, spectacled co-worker, “turn the fucking station, will you? You know I can't stand Rush, and it's all they play on this one. If I hear those assholes whine 'Tom Sawyer' one more time, I may go on a fucking killing spree.
  • Derived terms

    {{der3, at full stretch , by a long stretch , cat stretch , outstretch , overstretch , seventh inning stretch , stretchable , stretch limo , stretch of the imagination , stretch mark , stretch out , stretch pants , stretcher , stretchy}}