Units equal to nine inches

SPANS

Think of an old-fashioned way to measure the width of a hand stretched wide.

The clue refers to a traditional unit of measurement called a "span," which historically equals about nine inches—the distance from the tip of a person’s thumb to the tip of their little finger when their hand is spread wide. The answer "SPANS" is simply the plural form of "span," fitting the clue’s phrasing. No wordplay or tricks here—it’s a straightforward definition.