furlong

American  

[fur-lawng, -long] / ˈfɜr lɔŋ, -lɒŋ /

noun

1. a unit of distance, equal to 220 yards (201 meters) or ⅛ mile (0.2 kilometer). fur.

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furlong British  

/ ˈfɜːˌlɒŋ /

noun

1. a unit of length equal to 220 yards (201.168 metres)

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Etymology

Origin of furlong

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English furlang “length of a furrow”; furrow, long ¹

Example Sentences

“There’s not a hotter stallion in the country than Gun Runner and they move up going from six furlongs to a mile,” Sadler said.

From Los Angeles Times

He still looked beaten mid-stretch but with about a furlong to go he got real interested, running in about four path, well clear of the other horses.

From Los Angeles Times

The winner broke sharply from the stalls and Moore was in control from thereon, sending his mount clear in the final furlong to beat runner-up Wise Approach by two and a quarter lengths.

From BBC

For most of the horses, it was their first time going 1 1/8 miles, a furlong short of the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby.

From Los Angeles Times

“He is the kind of horse that for the first furlong he needs to adjust himself,” Rispoli said.

From Los Angeles Times