Children often have a short attention span.span1 span2 nounspan3 verb
spanspan1 /spæn/ 
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Children often have a short attention span.
a past tense of spin1 Children often have a short attention span. (=crosses a wide area)· By 1875 a railroad bridge spanned the Missouri.
(=the length of time that you are able to concentrate)· Young children have a short concentration span.
span1 span2 nounspan3 verb
spanspan2 noun [countable] WORD ORIGINspan2
Origin:
Old English spannEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- During a fifty-year span, Baldwin produced close to ninety novels.
- Any investigation which covers a long span of time is bound to encounter certain special problems.
- Bridge police say they drive about 2, 000 bridge phobics over the spans each year.
- In February, they play 14 games, including seven in a span of 11 nights, all on the road.
- In her mind, the reengineering decision granted her a well-deserved promotion and greater span of control.
- It has 9 arches with above-average spans of 58 feet.
- Logitech predicts a life span of between six months and a year.Overall, I liked the MouseMan Cordless very much.
- Organisation One of the problems often associated with working with young children is their apparently short concentration span.
WORD SETS
arcade, nounarch, nounarchitect, nounarchitecture, nounatrium, nounbailey, nounbastion, nouncampanile, nouncapital, nouncaryatid, nouncloistered, adjectivecolonial, adjectiveconservationist, nounCorinthian, adjectivecornice, noundolmen, noundome, noundomed, adjectiveDoric, adjectivefloor plan, nounflying buttress, nounfolly, nounGeorgian, adjectiveGothic, adjectiveground plan, nounIonic, adjectivemodernism, nounmonolith, nounmonument, nounmonumental, adjectiveNorman, adjectiveobelisk, nounopen-plan, adjectivepedestal, nounpediment, nounperistyle, nounpitched, adjectiveplinth, nounplot, nounportico, nounquadrangle, nounrambling, adjectiverampart, nounrococo, adjectiveRomanesque, adjectivescreen, nounspan, nounsplit-level, adjectivesquare, nounstonework, nounterrace, nountracery, nountransept, nountruss, nounvaulted, adjectivevaulting, nounvestibule, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It’ll be difficult to hire that many new staff in such a short time span. Most two-year-olds have a very short attention span. Captivity vastly reduces the life span of whales.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Children often have a short attention span.
1a period of time between two dates or eventsover/within/in a span of something It’ll be difficult to hire that many new staff in such a short time span. Most two-year-olds have a very short attention span. Captivity vastly reduces the life span of whales. Children often have a short attention span. (=crosses a wide area)· By 1875 a railroad bridge spanned the Missouri.
(=the length of time that you are able to concentrate)· Young children have a short concentration span.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Development of all major new weapons programmes would nevertheless continue but over a longer time span.· With a longer life span, a lot of people are just becoming too frail to take care of themselves.· We shall not make any comments about this until we have had a chance to inspect a longer time span.· That is a comparatively recent idea in the long span of history.· Any investigation which covers a long span of time is bound to encounter certain special problems.· This survey provides a particularly rich source of data because of the long time span covered.
· Then, for the second time in the short span that she had known the man, her mouth fell open.· The shorter the span, the smaller lumber you can use.· On the drive to Pelham Woods Rachel realised just how short the concentration span was of some members of the group.· What exciting, fulfilling, profitable things do I want to do during my short span on planet Earth?· Anencephalus, for example, has no life expectancy beyond a few weeks, and even this short life span is rare.· Organisation One of the problems often associated with working with young children is their apparently short concentration span.· A busy man, Johnny Cash, with a notoriously short attention span.· Unfortunately fish, like us all, do not live for ever, and some have shorter live spans than others.
· They don't have a very wide span of vision either, and they have no sense of perspective.
NOUN· Try to increase your attention span and extend the length of time over which you can work effectively.· Dear Kidsday: My attention span in school is very, very short.· It increases our attention span. 2.· And for those whose attention spans are trained to a short leash, it may be just the ticket.· A busy man, Johnny Cash, with a notoriously short attention span.· Given current attention spans, it may as well have come out during the Pleistocene.· Most puppies have a rather limited attention span, such is their enthusiasm for life.· These were necessary because most special education students have difficulty in concentrating and have generally limited attention spans.
· On the drive to Pelham Woods Rachel realised just how short the concentration span was of some members of the group.· Organisation One of the problems often associated with working with young children is their apparently short concentration span.
· From these deathly origins Nizan's life span was to proceed in an anguished spiral.· The company mixes engine oils, also shortening engines life spans.· He points out that an animal's life span is linked to its metabolic rate.· With a longer life span, a lot of people are just becoming too frail to take care of themselves.· Anencephalus, for example, has no life expectancy beyond a few weeks, and even this short life span is rare.· So too is ego, the life span of which, as seen, is but a wink....· It is generally accepted that the life span of the traditional flat felt roof is about 10 years.· But the good news is that the gap between male and female life spans is narrowing.
· Development of all major new weapons programmes would nevertheless continue but over a longer time span.· Statistically this loss rate is low seen in the perspective of the number of flying Spitfires over this time span.· I call this measure the responsibility time span of the role.· We shall not make any comments about this until we have had a chance to inspect a longer time span.· This survey provides a particularly rich source of data because of the long time span covered.· The time span which is likely to be required for a generation of more effective large-scale entrepreneurs to evolve is considerable.· The time span of observation in these studies varies from a few minutes to several hours.· Here dating becomes more and more problematical as the time spans become longer and longer.
Over a span of ten years, the company has made great progress. It’ll be difficult to hire that many new staff in such a short time span.2the length of time over which someone’s life, ability to pay attention to something etc continuesattention/concentration span Most two-year-olds have a very short attention span. Captivity vastly reduces the life span of whales.3the part of a bridge, arch etc that goes across from one support to another4the distance from one side of something to the other: a bird with a large wing spanspan1 span2 nounspan3 verb
spanspan3 verb (past tense and past participle spanned, present participle spanning) [transitive] VERB TABLE
span
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | it | spans |
| Present | span | |
| Past | it, they | spanned |
| Present perfect | they | have spanned |
| it | has spanned | |
| Past perfect | it, they | had spanned |
| Future | it, they | will span |
| Future perfect | it, they | will have spanned |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | they | are spanning |
| it | is spanning | |
| Past | they | were spanning |
| it | was spanning | |
| Present perfect | they | have been spanning |
| it | has been spanning | |
| Past perfect | it, they | had been spanning |
| Future | it, they | will be spanning |
| Future perfect | it, they | will have been spanning |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Heimat' is a vivid social drama spanning sixty years in the life of one small village.
- Cecil Pickett's teaching career spanned 33 years.
- In a career spanning four decades, Brewster had many legal triumphs.
- A key feature is the system's automatic two-phase commit support for distributed transactions spanning multiple heterogeneous databases that support two-phase commit.
- It took a full forty-eight hours to span the continent from New York to Los Angeles.
- Mason Pearson's unsurpassed reputation for true value combined with the very highest standards in hair care now spans a whole century.
- Moreover, the proposed business units would span several establishments and would not lend themselves easily to rapid consolidation.
- Some researchers believe the topography may even approach a Himalayan scale, spanning several miles from peak to trough.
- The columns carried hefty ceiling or roof beams, sometimes spanning 5 metres, but usually less.
Longman Language Activatorto include more than one subject, period etc
to include or deal with more than one subject, period etc at the same time: · His book on European history covers the period from 1914 to 2001.· The course lasts two years and covers seven basic subjects.cover a wide range/variety of something: · The term RSI - repetitive strain injury - covers a wide variety of painful hand and arm conditions.
formal to include or deal with a very wide range of ideas, subjects etc: · The Hindu religion encompasses many widely differing forms of worship.· It was a fruitful discussion which encompassed several different viewpoints.
formal if a word or way of describing something embraces several things, they are all included within its meaning: · The word "culture' embraces both artistic and sociological aspects of a society.· The category "kinsmen' also embraces grandparents and grandchildren.
if a book, film, plan etc spans a period of time, it goes from the beginning to the end of that time: · "Heimat' is a vivid social drama spanning sixty years in the life of one small village.· In a career spanning four decades, Brewster had many legal triumphs.
WORD SETSadobe, nounasphalt, nounbatten, nounbeam, nounblueprint, nounboard, nounboom, nounbreeze-block, nounbrick, nounbricklayer, nounbrickwork, nounbucket, nounbuilder, nounbuilding contractor, nounbuilding site, nounbulldoze, verbbulldozer, nounbuttress, nouncaisson, nouncantilever, nouncastellated, adjectivecavity wall, nouncement, nouncement, verbconcrete, adjectiveconcrete, nounconcrete, verbconduit, nounconstruct, verbcrane, nouncrosspiece, noundaub, noundigger, noundowel, noundrain, noundrainage, noundraughtsman, noundry-stone wall, noundry wall, nounduckboards, noundustsheet, nounembankment, nounerect, verberection, nounfence, verbfencing, nounfiberboard, nounfibreboard, nounfloor plan, nounfoundation, noungantry, noungatepost, noungirder, noungreenfield site, nounhalf-timbered, adjectivehard hat, nounhod, nounhousing association, nounhousing project, nounjackhammer, nounjib, nounjoist, nounkeystone, nounlath, nounleading, nounmansard, nounmortar, nounpanelling, nounpanel pin, nounpave, verbpavement, nounpebbledash, nounpier, nounpile driver, nounplank, nounplanking, nounplaster, nounplaster, verbplasterboard, nounplasterer, nounplate glass, nounpoint, verbPortakabin, nounprime, verbprimer, nounproperty developer, nounputty, nounquantity surveyor, nounrebuild, verbreconstruct, verbreconstruction, nounrefurbish, verbreinforced concrete, nounrendering, nounrenovate, verbrevetment, nounroof, nounroof, verbroofing, nounrooftop, nounrubble, nounsand, verbsandstone, nounsaw, verbscaffold, nounscaffolding, nounshovel, nounsite, nounskip, nounslab, nounslate, nounspan, verbstarter home, nounsteam shovel, nounstilt, nounstucco, nounsurface, verbsuspension bridge, nounthatch, nounthatched, adjectivetile, nountile, verbtiling, nountimber, nountopcoat, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY a career which spanned nearly 60 yearsCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Children often have a short attention span.
1to include all of a period of time: a career which spanned nearly 60 years Children often have a short attention span. (=crosses a wide area)· By 1875 a railroad bridge spanned the Missouri.
(=the length of time that you are able to concentrate)· Young children have a short concentration span.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Their interests span almost all the conventional disciplines.· Saint-Thomas's departure from the first secretaryship closed a cycle of ministerial dynasticism that had spanned almost a century.· Kakoo's life spanned almost a century and her wonderful memory made everything so vivid for all the generations who knew her.· Nevertheless, despite this work spanning almost half a century, it can be understood as forming a coherent and systematic theory.· The Cornmill's central feature is a giant glazed atrium spanning almost ninety feet and consisting of 258 panes of glass.
NOUN· The bridge spans the watercourse descending from Coire Mhic Nobuil in a very attractive setting, well seen from the parapet.· By 1875 Atchison could boast of a railroad bridge spanning the Missouri, a mechanical marvel that turned in order to open.· One runner remembers an elaborate bridge under construction, spanning the highway, with an office building next door.· This most elegant of bridges has a centre span of 702 feet.· The bridge, which spans the moat, is 140 feet long and 30 feet wide.· We soon saw the lengthy pontoon bridge spanning the Angara River.· This is the bridge that still spans the entrance to the Junction.· From the farm continue along a trackway leading northwards over a bridge spanning Scandale Beck.
· Norman Schwarzkopf's army career spanned 35 years.· With a working career spanning barely four years, he is the list's sensation.· The two-week work experience forms an important part of All Saints' careers programme, which spans three years.
· The time-scale involved is seldom measurable, but spans many generations.· The book's appeal spans generations.
· The carving of the Mount Rushmore Monument likewise spanned a period of fourteen years.· Until the end of the month a selection of them spanning a forty-year period may be seen at Matthew Marks.· The third winter series of meetings spans the period September 1990 to April 1991 and consists of eight seminars.· The display includes 24 works from the collection of the Tate Gallery, spanning a period of 160 years.· Most treatment span a period of time, so check that you have sufficient medication for the whole course.· The analysis spans a period when technology and communication techniques transformed the outward face of policing.· The disclosed documents, which span a period up to 1995, do not suggest that BATemployees committed any crime in Britain.
· He was supremely confident that he could span the river.· Bridges with catenary lights that spanned rivers wider than I could swim.
· Transend are continually looking for shareware that spans a wide spectrum.· Hard stony meteorites span the entire spectrum of strengths between these extremes, and they will be selected accordingly.· Opposition to most-favored-nation status spans the political spectrum.
· In other words, lots of concurrent partners in the briefest possible time span will equal the greatest chance of epidemic spread.· Historical records extend only a few thousand years, a time span that is still inadequate to treat slow geologic processes.· Thus the bulk of Laurentia came together in the relatively short time span of 150 million years.· All those decisions can often occur within a five-minute entrepreneurial time span.
· Norman Schwarzkopf's army career spanned 35 years.· Their research spanned thirteen years, and involved twelve hundred subjects in nine different studies.· The three cave occupations spanned some 100,000 years with ten distinct cultural horizons.· Thus the bulk of Laurentia came together in the relatively short time span of 150 million years.· With a working career spanning barely four years, he is the list's sensation.· A fascinating and provocative timetable spanning nearly 200 million years has emerged.· His writings fill twenty-four manuscript volumes, spanning the years 1781 to 1794.· Police in Cheshire and Greater Manchester have joined forces to investigate a series of attacks which span more than six years.
a career which spanned nearly 60 years2to include all of a particular space or area: The Mongol Empire spanned much of Central Asia.3if a bridge spans an area of water, especially a river, it goes from one side to the other