along

[uh-lawng, uh-long]

preposition

1. through, on, beside, over, or parallel to the length or direction of; from one end to the other of.

   to walk along a highway; to run a border along a shelf.

2. during; in the course of.

   Somewhere along the way I lost my hat.

3. in conformity or accordance with.

   I plan to revise the article along the lines suggested.

adverb

1. by the length; lengthwise; parallel to or in a line with the length or direction.

   He ran along beside me.

2. with a progressive motion; onward.

   The police ordered the line to move along.

3. (of time) some way on.

   along toward evening.

4. in company; in agreement (usually followed bywith ).

   I'll go along with you. He planned the project along with his associates.

5. as a companion; with one.

   She took her brother along.

6. from one person or place to another.

   The order was passed along from the general to the captain and from the captain to a private.

7. at or to an advanced place or state.

   Work on the new ship is quite far along.

8. as an accompanying item; on hand.

   Bring along your umbrella.

9. Chiefly Southern U.S. and British Dialect.,  along of,

   1. owing to; because of.

      We weren't invited, along of your rudeness.

   2. in company with.

      You come along of me to the store.

verb phrase

1. get along.,  get.

along

/ əˈlɒŋ /

preposition

1. over or for the length of, esp in a more or less horizontal plane

   along the road

adverb

1. continuing over the length of some specified thing

2. in accompaniment; together with some specified person or people

   he says he'd like to come along

3. forward

   the horse trotted along at a steady pace

4. to a more advanced state

   he got the work moving along

5. accompanying; together with

   consider the advantages along with the disadvantages

Word History and Origins

Origin of along¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English andlang, equivalent to and- (cognate with Old Saxon, Old Norse and-, Gothic and(a)-, Old High German ant-; akin to Greek antí- and Latin ante-, prefix with the original sense “opposite, facing”) + lang ; long ¹. answer

Word History and Origins

Origin of along¹

Old English andlang, from and- against + lang _long ¹ ; compare Old Frisian andlinga, Old Saxon antlang

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. all along, all the time; throughout.

   I knew all along that it was a lie.

2. be along, to arrive at a place; come.

   They should be along soon.

More idioms and phrases containing along

• all along
• all along the line
• be along
• come along
• follow along
• get along
• go along
• play along
• run along
• string along

Example Sentences

The ad included a link to a Cursor webpage along with a heartfelt letter that started with: “Dear Developers.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Maro noted that groups of male chimpanzees often gather high in the canopy of F. musuco trees to eat fruit before heading out on patrols along the borders of their territory.

Read more on Science Daily

There is a story line to go along with the problem, and pressure is added by the process being timed.

Read more on BBC

Modern American mass media exploded in the 1920s — notably, along with Hollywood.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Which you can still see if you take “a sweet trip,” not to the candy shop but along Grand Central Avenue, where it cleaves through Disney’s Grand Central Creative Campus.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• also 
• as well 
• simultaneously 
• too