furlong
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of furlong
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English furlang “length of a furrow”; see origin at furrow, long 1
Explanation
A furlong is a unit of measurement that's equal to 220 yards. It takes eight furlongs to make a mile. These days, the measurement is mainly used to mark distances in horse racing. Furlongs were once a common way to measure farmland, with one furlong being the length of a furrow in a 10-acre field. This use dates back to Anglo Saxon times. Furlongs still appear on highway signs in Myanmar. Some modern cities, including Chicago and parts of Salt Lake City, have 800 address units for every mile, making each city block a furlong in length.
Vocabulary lists containing furlong
The Tempest
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With Tadgh Furlong still not fully fit, Farrell said he was not prepared to risk the British and Irish Lion for this game.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
Former CEO Matt Furlong acknowledged the company was on the “brink of bankruptcy” leading up to the 2021 short squeeze.
From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025
Overtaken by Furlong and Will Stuart, but there is no disgrace in that.
From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025
Tadhg Furlong: Has now started nine consecutive Lions Tests, which is just freaky in the modern age.
From BBC • Aug. 3, 2025
He would be set down at the top of Five Furlong Hill—nothing would induce Mr. Hannaford to come into the village where women might be met.
From The Happy Warrior by Hutchinson, A. S. M. (Arthur Stuart-Menteth)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
