furlong
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of furlong
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English furlang “length of a furrow”; 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.
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 • Jul. 19, 2025
The bay colt and jockey Victor Espinoza surged to the lead with a furlong to go and thundered across the finish line a length ahead in the 2015 Kentucky Derby.
From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024
It looked as though 66-1 outsider King Of Steel had pushed into an unassailable lead coming into the final furlong but Auguste Rodin caught him up and ultimately won convincingly.
From Washington Times • Jun. 3, 2023
The 21-year-old, in full flight, is a joy to behold, pumping his long legs like a racehorse galloping down the final furlong.
From BBC • Oct. 22, 2022
With a furlong to go, Aneroid’s head bobbed in front, just as Rosemont’s had done a few months before.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
