Horse Racing. (in a heat race) the space measured back from the winning post that a horse must reach by the time the winner passes the winning post or be eliminated from subsequent heats.
14.
Mathematics. the greatest lower bound of differences between points, one from each of two given sets.
15.
Obsolete. disagreement or dissension; a quarrel.
–verb (used with object)
16.
to leave behind at a distance, as at a race; surpass.
17.
to place at a distance.
18.
to cause to appear distant.
—Idioms
19.
go the distance,
a.
(in horse racing) to be able to run well in a long race.
b.
Informal. to finish or complete something, esp. something difficult, challenging, or requiring sustained effort.
20.
keep at a distance, to treat coldly or in an unfriendly manner.
21.
keep one's distance, to avoid becoming familiar or involved; remain cool or aloof.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME < L distantia, equiv. to distant- (see distant) + -ia-y3; r. ME destaunce < AF]
The extent of space between two objects or places; an intervening space.
The fact or condition of being apart in space; remoteness.
Mathematics The length or numerical value of a straight line or curve.
The extent of space between points on a measured course.
The length of a race, especially of a horserace.
A point or area that is far away: "Telephone poles stretched way into a distance I couldn't quite see"(Leigh Allison Wilson).
A depiction of a such a point or area.
A point or area that is far away: "Telephone poles stretched way into a distance I couldn't quite see"(Leigh Allison Wilson).
A depiction of a such a point or area.
A stretch of space without designation of limit; an expanse: a land of few hills and great distances.
The extent of time between two events; an intervening period.
A point removed in time: At a distance of 11 years, his memory of the crime was blurry.
The full period or length of a contest or game: The challenger had never attempted the distance of 12 rounds.
An amount of progress: The curriculum committee is a distance from where it was last month.
Difference or disagreement: The candidates could not be at a greater distance on this issue.
Emotional separateness or reserve; aloofness.
tr.v.
dis·tanced, dis·tanc·ing, dis·tanc·es
To place or keep at or as if at a distance: "To understand Russian strategy ... it is necessary for us to distance ourselves from our own myths and to enter into theirs"(Freeman J. Dyson).
c.1290, from O.Fr. destance, from L. distantia "a standing apart," from distantem (nom. distans) "standing apart, separate, distant," prp. of distare "stand apart," from dis- "apart, off" + stare "to stand" (see stet). The figurative sense is the same as in stand-offish. Phrase go the distance (1930s) seems to be originally from boxing.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
2.
a distant region; "I could see it in the distance"
3.
size of the gap between two places; "the distance from New York to Chicago"; "he determined the length of the shortest line segment joining the two points"
4.
indifference by personal withdrawal; "emotional distance"
5.
the interval between two times; "the distance from birth to death"; "it all happened in the space of 10 minutes"
6.
a remote point in time; "if that happens it will be at some distance in the future"; "at a distance of ten years he had forgotten many of the details"
verb
1.
keep at a distance; "we have to distance ourselves from these events in order to continue living"
2.
go far ahead of; "He outdistanced the other runners" [syn: outdistance]
the space between things, places etc Example: Some of the children have to walk long distances to school; It's quite a distance to the bus stop; It is difficult to judge distance when driving at night; What's the distance from here to London?
Arabic:
مَسافَه
Chinese (Simplified):
距离
Chinese (Traditional):
距離
Czech:
vzdálenost
Danish:
distance; afstand
Dutch:
afstand
Estonian:
vahemaa
Finnish:
matka, välimatka
French:
distance
German:
die Entfernung
Greek:
απόσταση
Hungarian:
táv(olság)
Icelandic:
fjarlægð
Indonesian:
jarak
Italian:
distanza
Japanese:
距離
Korean:
거리
Latvian:
attālums; atstatums
Lithuanian:
atstumas, nuotolis
Norwegian:
avstand, (vei)strekning, distanse
Polish:
odległość
Portuguese (Brazil):
distância
Portuguese (Portugal):
distância
Romanian:
distanţă
Russian:
расстояние
Slovak:
vzdialenosť
Slovenian:
razdalja
Spanish:
distancia
Swedish:
sträcka, avstånd, distans
Turkish:
mesafe, uzaklık
distance2[ˈdistəns]noun
a far-off place or point Example: We could see the town in the distance; He disappeared into the distance; The picture looks better at a distance.
An"gu*lar\, a. [L. angularis, fr. angulus angle, corner. See Angle.]1. Relating to an angle or to angles; having an angle or angles; forming an angle or corner; sharp-cornered; pointed; as, an angular figure. 2. Measured by an angle; as, angular distance. 3. Fig.: Lean; lank; raw-boned; ungraceful; sharp and stiff in character; as, remarkably angular in his habits and appearance; an angular female. Angular aperture, Angular distance. See Aperture, Distance. Angular motion, the motion of a body about a fixed point or fixed axis, as of a planet or pendulum. It is equal to the angle passed over at the point or axis by a line drawn to the body. Angular point, the point at which the sides of the angle meet; the vertex. Angular velocity, the ratio of anuglar motion to the time employed in describing.
Dis"tance\, n. [F. distance, L. distantia.]1. The space between two objects; the length of a line, especially the shortest line joining two points or things that are separate; measure of separation in place. Every particle attracts every other with a force . . . inversely proportioned to the square of the distance. --Sir I. Newton. 2. Remoteness of place; a remote place. Easily managed from a distance. --W. Irving. 'T is distance lends enchantment to the view. --T. Campbell. [He] waits at distance till he hears from Cato. --Addison. 3. (Racing) A space marked out in the last part of a race course. The horse that ran the whole field out of distance. --L'Estrange. Note: In trotting matches under the rules of the American Association, the distance varies with the conditions of the race, being 80 yards in races of mile heats, best two in three, and 150 yards in races of two-mile heats. At that distance from the winning post is placed the distance post. If any horse has not reached this distance post before the first horse in that heat has reached the winning post, such horse is distanced, and disqualified for running again during that race. 4. (Mil.) Relative space, between troops in ranks, measured from front to rear; -- contrasted with interval, which is measured from right to left. "Distance between companies in close column is twelve yards." --Farrow. 5. Space between two antagonists in fencing. --Shak. 6. (Painting) The part of a picture which contains the representation of those objects which are the farthest away, esp. in a landscape. Note: In a picture, the Middle distance is the central portion between the foreground and the distance or the extreme distance. In a perspective drawing, the Point of distance is the point where the visual rays meet. 7. Ideal disjunction; discrepancy; contrariety. --Locke. 8. Length or interval of time; period, past or future, between two eras or events. Ten years' distance between one and the other. --Prior. The writings of Euclid at the distance of two thousand years. --Playfair. 9. The remoteness or reserve which respect requires; hence, respect; ceremoniousness. I hope your modesty Will know what distance to the crown is due. --Dryden. 'T is by respect and distance that authority is upheld. --Atterbury. 10. A withholding of intimacy; alienation; coldness; disagreement; variance; restraint; reserve. Setting them [factions] at distance, or at least distrust amongst themselves. --Bacon. On the part of Heaven, Now alienated, distance and distaste. --Milton. 11. Remoteness in succession or relation; as, the distance between a descendant and his ancestor. 12. (Mus.) The interval between two notes; as, the distance of a fourth or seventh. Angular distance, the distance made at the eye by lines drawn from the eye to two objects. Lunar distance. See under Lunar. North polar distance (Astron.), the distance on the heavens of a heavenly body from the north pole. It is the complement of the declination. Zenith distance (Astron.), the arc on the heavens from a heavenly body to the zenith of the observer. It is the complement of the altitude. To keep one's distance, to stand aloof; to refrain from familiarity. If a man makes keep my distance, the comfort is he keeps his at the same time. --Swift.
Dis"tance\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distanced; p. pr. & vb. n. Distancing.]1. To place at a distance or remotely. I heard nothing thereof at Oxford, being then miles distanced thence. --Fuller. 2. To cause to appear as if at a distance; to make seem remote. His peculiar art of distancing an object to aggrandize his space. --H. Miller. 3. To outstrip by as much as a distance (see Distance, n., 3); to leave far behind; to surpass greatly. He distanced the most skillful of his contemporaries. --Milner.
Dis"tance\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distanced; p. pr. & vb. n. Distancing.]1. To place at a distance or remotely. I heard nothing thereof at Oxford, being then miles distanced thence. --Fuller. 2. To cause to appear as if at a distance; to make seem remote. His peculiar art of distancing an object to aggrandize his space. --H. Miller. 3. To outstrip by as much as a distance (see Distance, n., 3); to leave far behind; to surpass greatly. He distanced the most skillful of his contemporaries. --Milner.
Ex*treme"\, a. [L. extremus, superl. of exter, extrus, on the outside, outward: cf. F. extr[^e]me. See Exterior.]1. At the utmost point, edge, or border; outermost; utmost; farthest; most remote; at the widest limit. 2. Last; final; conclusive; -- said of time; as, the extreme hour of life. 3. The best of worst; most urgent; greatest; highest; immoderate; excessive; most violent; as, an extreme case; extreme folly. "The extremest remedy." --Dryden. "Extreme rapidity." --Sir W. Scott. Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire. --Shak. 4. Radical; ultra; as, extreme opinions. The Puritans or extreme Protestants. --Gladstone. 5. (Mus.) Extended or contracted as much as possible; -- said of intervals; as, an extreme sharp second; an extreme flat forth. Extreme and mean ratio (Geom.), the relation of a line and its segments when the line is so divided that the whole is to the greater segment is to the less. Extreme distance. (Paint.) See Distance., n., 6. Extreme unction. See under Unction. Note: Although this adjective, being superlative in signification, is not properly subject to comparison, the superlative form not unfrequently occurs, especially in the older writers. "Tried in his extremest state." --Spenser. "Extremest hardships." --Sharp. "Extremest of evils." --Bacon. "Extremest verge of the swift brook." --Shak. "The sea's extremest borders." --Addison.
Fore"ground`\, n. On a painting, and sometimes in a bas-relief, mosaic picture, or the like, that part of the scene represented, which is nearest to the spectator, and therefore occupies the lowest part of the work of art itself. Cf. Distance, n., 6.
Ze"nith\ (?; 277), n. [OE. senyth, OF. cenith, F. z['e]nith, Sp. zenit, cenit, abbrev. fr. Ar. samt-urras way of the head, vertical place; samt way, path + al the + ras head. Cf. Azimuth.]1. That point in the visible celestial hemisphere which is vertical to the spectator; the point of the heavens directly overhead; -- opposed to nadir. From morn To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, A summer's day; and with the setting sun Dropped from the zenith, like a falling star. --Milton. 2. hence, figuratively, the point of culmination; the greatest height; the height of success or prosperity. I find my zenith doth depend upon A most auspicious star. --Shak. This dead of midnight is the noon of thought, And wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars. --Mrs. Barbauld. It was during those civil troubles . . . this aspiring family reached the zenith. --Macaulay. Zenith distance. (Astron.) See under Distance. Zenith sector. (Astron.) See Sector, 3. Zenith telescope (Geodesy), a telescope specially designed for determining the latitude by means of any two stars which pass the meridian about the same time, and at nearly equal distances from the zenith, but on opposite sides of it. It turns both on a vertical and a horizontal axis, is provided with a graduated vertical semicircle, and a level for setting it to a given zenith distance, and with a micrometer for measuring the difference of the zenith distances of the two stars.
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