See Also: Length(medicine)
length(dictionary)
length(dictionary)
length of a curve(encyclopedia)
focal length(medicine)
greatest length(medicine)
Focal length(health)
leg length inequality(medicine)
length of stay(medicine)
Arm's length price(finance)

length (iou)



length noun.
[Old English lengTu = Dutch lengte, Old Norse lengd, from Germanic, from base also of LONG adjective1: see -TH1.]
Extent from beginning to end, esp. of a period of time, a speech, etc. OE.
I. Watt Sentences..of fairly usual length. C. Hope The length of military service was indefinite.
b. An instance of this; a period or duration of time, esp. a long period. LME.
R. K. Narayan She was welcome to stay any length of time.
The linear extent of any thing as measured from end to end; the greater of two or greatest of three dimensions of a body or figure. Also, the extent of a garment in a vertical direction when worn. LOE.
R. P. Jhabvala He looked down the length of the table.
b. An instance of this. E18.
J. Agee The inward wall..was hung solid with cassocks of all lengths. A. Koestler Relationship between the lengths of the sides of a right-angled triangle.
The distance or extent between the extremities of something specified. ME.
b. The full extent of one's body. L16.
Tennyson All her fair length upon the ground she lay.
c. Sport. The distance between the nose and tail of a horse etc., or between the bow and stern of a boat, used in expressing the winning-margin or lead in a race. M17.
Horse & Hound Holborn Head passed the post three lengths clear.
d. Swimming. The distance from end to end of a swimming pool; this distance as an amount swum. Cf. WIDTH 1b. E20.
a. The quality or fact of being long; substantial duration or extent. Opp. shortness. LME.
J. Bayley 'The Turn of the Screw'..in spite of its length has..the characteristics..of a short story.
b. Verbosity, lengthiness. Now rare. L16.
a. Distance to a location or destination; distance travelled. Now Scot. LME.
b. fig. A degree or extreme to which a course of action or an opinion can be taken. L17.
M. Angelou Disappointment drives our young men to some desperate lengths.
Reach, range. LME-E17.
a. A (long) stretch or extent of land, hair, etc. L16.
b. A piece of material etc. of a certain or distinct extent. M17.
A. T. Ellis She had posted off a length of pale blue silk.
c. The penis. Also, an act of sexual intercourse. slang. M20.
Theatrical. A portion of an actor's part, consisting of forty-two lines. M18.
Brewing. The quantity of liquid drawn off from a certain amount of malt. M18.
Prosody. Quantity, esp. long quantity, of a sound or syllable. Opp. shortness. M18.
a. Cricket. The distance from the batsman at which a (well-bowled) ball pitches; the consistent reaching of a (good) distance by the bowler. M18.
P. Warner Rhodes..was accurate in his length.
b. Tennis & Badminton etc. The quality of making shots to the back of the court; the consistent achievement of such play. E20.
Bridge. Four or more cards of the same suit held in one hand. E20.
Math. The number of components in any connected sequence. M20.
Phrases: at arm's length: see ARM noun1. at full length: see FULL adjective. at length (a) after a long time, at or in the end; (b) for a long time, in detail, fully, (also at great length, at some length, etc.). at the length = at length above. draw out in length prolong, protract. draw out to a great length prolong, protract. full length: see FULL adjective. measure one's length, measure out one's length: see MEASURE verb. not the length of a street: see STREET noun. of length long. slip someone a length (of a man) have sexual intercourse with someone. the length and breadth (throughout) the whole area, (in) all parts or directions. the length of Scot. as far as.
Comb.: lengthman a person appointed to maintain a certain stretch of road, railway, or canal; length-mark (a) a phonetic symbol used to indicate the length of a sound, esp. to indicate that a vowel sound is long; (b) a macron indicating length; lengthsman = lengthman above.
lengthful adjective (poet., now rare) long E17.