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Long vs. Length

Long and Length Definitions

Long

Extending or traveling a relatively great distance.

Length

The state, quality, or fact of being long. See Usage Note at strength.

Long

Having relatively great height; tall.

Length

The measurement of the extent of something along its greatest dimension
The length of the boat.

Long

Having the greater length of two or the greatest length of several
The long edge of the door.

Length

A piece, often of a standard size, that is normally measured along its greatest dimension
A length of cloth.
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Long

Of relatively great duration
A long time.

Length

A measure used as a unit to estimate distances
Won the race by a length.

Long

Of a specified linear extent or duration
A mile long.
An hour long.

Length

Extent or distance from beginning to end
The length of a novel.
The length of a journey.

Long

Made up of many members or items
A long shopping list.

Length

The amount of time between specified moments; the duration
The length of a meeting.
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Long

Extending beyond an average or standard
A long game.

Length

Often lengths Extent or degree to which an action or policy is carried
Went to great lengths to prove his point.

Long

Extending or landing beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal
Her first serve was long.

Length

The duration of a vowel.

Long

Tediously protracted; lengthy
A long speech.

Length

The duration of a syllable.
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Long

Concerned with distant issues; far-reaching
Took a long view of the geopolitical issues.

Length

The vertical extent of a garment. Often used in combination
Knee-length.
Floor-length.

Long

Involving substantial chance; risky
Long odds.

Length

The distance measured along the longest dimension of an object.

Long

Having an abundance or excess of
"politicians whose résumés are long on competence" (Margaret Garrard Warner).

Length

Duration.

Long

Having a holding of a commodity or security in expectation of a rise in price
Long on soybeans.

Length

(horse racing) The length of a horse, used to indicate the distance between horses at the end of a race.

Long

(Linguistics) Having a comparatively great duration. Used of a vowel or consonant.

Length

(mathematics) Distance between the two ends of a line segment.

Long

(Grammar) Relating to or being the English speech sounds (ā, ē, ī, ō, ) that are tense vowels or diphthongs.

Length

(cricket) The distance down the pitch that the ball bounces on its way to the batsman.

Long

Being of relatively great duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.

Length

(figuratively) Total extent.
The length of a book

Long

During or for an extended period of time
The promotion was long due.

Length

Part of something that is long; a physical piece of something.
A length of rope

Long

At or to a considerable distance; far
She walked long past the end of the trail.

Length

(theatre) A unit of script length, comprising 42 lines.

Long

Beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal
Hit the return long.

Length

(bridge) The number of cards held in a particular suit.

Long

For or throughout a specified period
They talked all night long.

Length

(obsolete) To lengthen.

Long

At a point of time distant from that referred to
That event took place long before we were born.

Length

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.

Long

Into or in a long position, as of a commodity market.

Length

A portion of space or of time considered as measured by its length; - often in the plural.
Large lengths of seas and shores.
The future but a length behind the past.

Long

A long time
This won't take long.

Length

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.

Long

(Linguistics) A long syllable, vowel, or consonant.

Length

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.

Long

One who acquires holdings in a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in price.

Length

Detail or amplification; unfolding; continuance as, to pursue a subject to a great length.
May Heaven, great monarch, still augment your blissWith length of days, and every day like this.

Long

A garment size for a tall person.

Length

Distance.
He had marched to the length of Exeter.

Long

Longs Trousers extending to the feet or ankles.

Length

To lengthen.

Long

To have an earnest, heartfelt desire, especially for something beyond reach.

Length

The linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest horizontal dimension of something that is fixed in place;
The length of the table was 5 feet

Long

Having much distance from one terminating point on an object or an area to another terminating point usually applies to horizontal dimensions; see Usage Notes below.
It's a long way from the Earth to the Moon.
How long was your newborn baby?

Length

Continuance in time;
The ceremony was of short duration
He complained about the length of time required

Long

Having great duration.
The pyramids of Egypt have been around for a long time.

Length

The property of being the extent of something from beginning to end;
The editor limited the length of my article to 500 words

Long

Seemingly lasting a lot of time, because it is boring or tedious or tiring.

Length

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

Long

Not short; tall.

Length

A section of something that is long and narrow;
A length of timber
A length of tubing

Long

(finance) Possessing or owning stocks, bonds, commodities or other financial instruments with the aim of benefiting of the expected rise in their value.
I'm long in DuPont.
I have a long position in DuPont.

Long

(cricket) Of a fielding position, close to the boundary (or closer to the boundary than the equivalent short position).

Long

Landing beyond the baseline, and therefore deemed to be out.
That forehand is long.

Long

(gambling) Of betting odds, offering a very large return for a small wager.

Long

Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in time; far away.

Long

(archaic) On account of, because of.

Long

(linguistics) A long vowel.

Long

(prosody) A long syllable.

Long

(music) A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve.

Long

(programming) A long integer variable, twice the size of an int, two or four times the size of a short, and half of a long long.
A long is typically 64 bits in a 32-bit environment.

Long

(finance) An entity with a long position in an asset.
Every uptick made the longs cheer.

Long

(finance) A long-term investment.

Long

The long summer vacation at the English universities.

Long

Longitude

Long

To take a long position in.

Long

(intransitive) To await, aspire, desire greatly (something to occur or to be true).
She longed for him to come back.

Long

(archaic) To be appropriate to, to pertain or belong to.

Long

(obsolete) To belong.

Long

Over a great distance in space.
He threw the ball long.

Long

For a particular duration.
How long is it until the next bus arrives?

Long

For a long duration.
Will this interview take long?
Paris has long been considered one of the most cultured cities in the world.
She has known us as long as you
I haven't long to live.

Long

Drawn out in a line, or in the direction of length; protracted; extended; as, a long line; - opposed to short, and distinguished from broad or wide.

Long

Drawn out or extended in time; continued through a considerable tine, or to a great length; as, a long series of events; a long debate; a long drama; a long history; a long book.

Long

Slow in passing; causing weariness by length or duration; lingering; as, long hours of watching.

Long

Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in time; far away.
The we may us reserve both fresh and strongAgainst the tournament, which is not long.

Long

Having a length of the specified measure; of a specified length; as, a span long; a yard long; a mile long, that is, extended to the measure of a mile, etc.

Long

Far-reaching; extensive.

Long

Having a supply of stocks or goods; prepared for, or depending for a profit upon, advance in prices; as, long of cotton. Hence, the phrases: to be, or go, long of the market, to be on the long side of the market, to hold products or securities for a rise in price, esp. when bought on a margin. Contrasted to short.

Long

A note formerly used in music, one half the length of a large, twice that of a breve.

Long

A long sound, syllable, or vowel.

Long

The longest dimension; the greatest extent; - in the phrase, the long and the short of it, that is, the sum and substance of it.

Long

To a great extent in space; as, a long drawn out line.

Long

To a great extent in time; during a long time.
They that tarry long at the wine.
When the trumpet soundeth long.

Long

At a point of duration far distant, either prior or posterior; as, not long before; not long after; long before the foundation of Rome; long after the Conquest.

Long

Through the whole extent or duration.
The bird of dawning singeth all night long.

Long

Through an extent of time, more or less; - only in question; as, how long will you be gone?

Long

By means of; by the fault of; because of.

Long

To feel a strong or morbid desire or craving; to wish for something with eagerness; - followed by an infinitive, or by for or after.
I long to see you.
I have longed after thy precepts.
I have longed for thy salvation.
Nicomedes, longing for herrings, was supplied with fresh ones . . . at a great distance from the sea.

Long

To belong; - used with to, unto, or for.
The labor which that longeth unto me.

Long

A comparatively long time;
This won't take long
They haven't been gone long

Long

Desire strongly or persistently

Long

Primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified;
A long life
A long boring speech
A long time
A long friendship
A long game
Long ago
An hour long

Long

Primarily spatial sense; of relatively great or greater than average spatial extension or extension as specified;
A long road
A long distance
Contained many long words
Ten miles long

Long

Of relatively great height;
A race of long gaunt men
Looked out the long French windows

Long

Holding securities or commodities in expectation of a rise in prices;
Is long on coffee
A long position in gold

Long

Of speech sounds (especially vowels) of relatively long duration (as e.g. the English vowel sounds in `bate', `beat', `bite', `boat', `boot')

Long

Used of syllables that are unaccented or of relatively long duration

Long

Involving substantial risk;
Long odds

Long

(of memory) having greater than average range;
A long memory especially for insults
A tenacious memory

Long

Planning prudently for the future;
Large goals that required farsighted policies
Took a long view of the geopolitical issues

Long

Having or being more than normal or necessary:
Long on brains
In long supply

Long

For an extended time or at a distant time;
A promotion long overdue
Something long hoped for
His name has long been forgotten
Talked all night long
How long will you be gone?
Arrived long before he was expected
It is long after your bedtime

Long

For an extended distance

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