Link Centre Dictionary

length

US/lɛŋ(k)θ/ fairly common slang

noun

1.

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”
2.

continuance in time

  • “the ceremony was of short duration”
  • “he complained about the length of time required”
Synonyms
3.

the property of being the extent of something from beginning to end

  • “the editor limited the length of my article to 500 words”
4.

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”
Synonyms
5.

a section of something that is long and narrow

  • “a length of timber”
  • “a length of tubing”

Origin

From Middle English lengthe, from Old English lengþ, lengþu, from Proto-West Germanic *langiþu, from Proto-Germanic *langiþō, equivalent to long + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Scots lenth, lainth (“length”), Saterland Frisian Loangte (“length”), West Frisian lingte, langte (“length”), Dutch lengte (“length”), German Low German Längde, Längd, Längte, Längt (“length”), Danish længde (“length”), Swedish längd (“length”), Icelandic lengd (“length”).

Phrases

  • after length
  • arc length
  • arm's length
  • arm's length price
  • arm's length principle
  • at arm's length
  • at length
  • bishop's length

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.