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length - 7 dictionary results

length

  [lengkth, length, lenth]
Use length in a Sentence
–noun
1. the longest extent of anything as measured from end to end: the length of a river.
2. the measure of the greatest dimension of a plane or solid figure.
3. extent from beginning to end of a series, enumeration, account, book, etc.: a report running 300 pages in length.
4. extent in time; duration: the length of a battle.
5. a distance determined by the extent of something specified: Hold the picture at arm's length.
6. a piece or portion of a certain or a known extent: a length of rope.
7. the quality or state of being long rather than short: a journey remarkable for its length.
8. the extent to which a person might or would go in pursuing something: He went to great lengths to get what he wanted.
9. a large extent or expanse of something.
10. the measure from end to end of a horse, boat, etc., as a unit of distance in racing: The horse won by two lengths.
11. Clothing. the extent of a garment related to a point it reaches, as on the wearer's body, the floor, or on a garment used as a standard of measurement (usually used in combination): an ankle-length gown; a floor-length negligee; a three-quarter-length coat.
12. Prosody, Phonetics.
a. (of a vowel or syllable) quantity, whether long or short.
b. the quality of vowels.
13. Bridge. the possession of four or more than four cards in a given suit.
14. Theater Archaic. 42 lines of an acting part.
—Idioms
15. at length,
a. in or to the full extent; completely.
b. after a time; finally: At length there was a step forward in the negotiations.
16. go to any length or lengths, to disregard any impediment that could prevent one from accomplishing one's purpose: He would go to any lengths to get his own way.
17. keep at arm's length. arm 1 (def. 16).
Origin:
bef. 900; ME length(e), OE lengthu; c. D lengte, ON lengd. See long 1 , -th 1

Synonyms:
1. span, stretch, reach, scope, measure.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To length
length   (lěngkth, lěngth, lěnth)   
n.  
  1. The state, quality, or fact of being long. See Usage Note at strength.
  2. The measurement of the extent of something along its greatest dimension: the length of the boat.
  3. A piece, often of a standard size, that is normally measured along its greatest dimension: a length of cloth.
  4. A measure used as a unit to estimate distances: won the race by a length.
  5. Extent or distance from beginning to end: the length of a novel; the length of a journey.
  6. The amount of time between specified moments; the duration: the length of a meeting.
  7. Extent or degree to which an action or policy is carried. Often used in the plural: went to great lengths to prove his point.
  8. Linguistics
    1. The duration of a vowel.
    2. The duration of a syllable.
  9. The vertical extent of a garment. Often used in combination: knee-length; floor-length.

[Middle English, from Old English lengthu; see del-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Length

Length\ (l[e^]ngth), n. [OE. lengthe, AS. leng[eth], fr. lang, long, long; akin to D. lengte, Dan. l[ae]ngde, Sw. l["a]ngd, Icel. lengd. See Long, a. ]

1. The longest, or longer, dimension of any object, in distinction from breadth or width; extent of anything from end to end; the longest line which can be drawn through a body, parallel to its sides; as, the length of a church, or of a ship; the length of a rope or line.

2. A portion of space or of time considered as measured by its length; -- often in the plural.

Large lengths of seas and shores. --Shak.

The future but a length behind the past. --Dryden.

3. The quality or state of being long, in space or time; extent; duration; as, some sea birds are remarkable for the length of their wings; he was tired by the length of the sermon, and the length of his walk.

4. A single piece or subdivision of a series, or of a number of long pieces which may be connected together; as, a length of pipe; a length of fence.

5. Detail or amplification; unfolding; continuance as, to pursue a subject to a great length.

May Heaven, great monarch, still augment your bliss With length of days, and every day like this. --Dryden.

6. Distance.[Obs.]

He had marched to the length of Exeter. --Clarendon.

At length. (a) At or in the full extent; without abbreviation; as, let the name be inserted at length. (b) At the end or conclusion; after a long period. See Syn. of At last, under Last.

At arm's length. See under Arm.

Length

Length\, v. t. To lengthen. [Obs.] --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : length
Spanish: longitud, largo,
German: die Länge,
Japanese: 長さ
More Translations »

length 
O.E. lengðu "length," from P.Gmc. *langitho, noun of quality from *langgaz (root of O.E. lang "long") + -itho, abstract noun suffix. Cognate with O.N. lengd, O.Fris. lengethe, Du. lengte. Fig. sense of "the distance one goes, extremity to which something is carried" is from 1697. Phrase at length "to full extent" is attested from c.1500. Lengthy is first recorded 1759 in Amer.Eng., and until c.1840 always was characterized in British Eng. as an Americanism.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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length (lěngkth, lěngth)
n.
The linear distance between two points.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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length

see at arm's length; at length; go to any length.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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