length

American  

[lengkth, length, lenth] / lɛŋkθ, lɛŋθ, lɛnθ /

noun

1. the longest extent of anything as measured from end to end.

   the length of a river.

   Synonyms:

   measure, scope, reach, stretch, span

2. the measure of the greatest dimension of a plane or solid figure.

3. extent from beginning to end of a series, enumeration, account, book, etc..

   a report running 300 pages in length.

4. extent in time; duration.

   the length of a battle.

5. a distance determined by the extent of something specified.

   Hold the picture at arm's length.

6. a piece or portion of a certain or a known extent.

   a length of rope.

7. the quality or state of being long rather than short.

   a journey remarkable for its length.

8. the extent to which a person might or would go in pursuing something.

   He went to great lengths to get what he wanted.

9. a large extent or expanse of something.

10. the measure from end to end of a horse, boat, etc., as a unit of distance in racing.

    The horse won by two lengths.

11. Clothing. the extent of a garment related to a point it reaches, as on the wearer's body, the floor, or on a garment used as a standard of measurement (usually used in combination).

    an ankle-length gown; a floor-length negligee; a three-quarter-length coat.

12. Prosody, Phonetics.

    1. (of a vowel or syllable) quantity, whether long or short.

    2. the quality of vowels.

13. Bridge. the possession of four or more than four cards in a given suit.

14. Theater Archaic. 42 lines of an acting part.

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idioms

1. keep at arm's length. arm.

2. go to any length / lengths, to disregard any impediment that could prevent one from accomplishing one's purpose.

   He would go to any lengths to get his own way.

3. at length,

   1. in or to the full extent; completely.

   2. after a time; finally.

      At length there was a step forward in the negotiations.

length British  

/ lɛŋθ, lɛŋkθ /

noun

1. the linear extent or measurement of something from end to end, usually being the longest dimension or, for something fixed, the longest horizontal dimension

2. the extent of something from beginning to end, measured in some more or less regular units or intervals

   the book was 600 pages in length

3. a specified distance, esp between two positions or locations

   the length of a race

4. a period of time, as between specified limits or moments

5. something of a specified, average, or known size or extent measured in one dimension, often used as a unit of measurement

   a length of cloth

6. a piece or section of something narrow and long

   a length of tubing

7. the quality, state, or fact of being long rather than short

8. (usually plural) the amount of trouble taken in pursuing or achieving something (esp in the phrase to great lengths )

9. (often plural) the extreme or limit of action (in phrases such as to any length ( s ), to what length ( s ) would someone go, etc)

10. prosody phonetics the metrical quantity or temporal duration of a vowel or syllable

11. the distance from one end of a rectangular swimming bath to the other Compare width

12. prosody the quality of a vowel, whether stressed or unstressed, that distinguishes it from another vowel of similar articulatory characteristics. Thus ( iː ) in English beat is of greater length than ( ɪ ) in English bit

13. cricket the distance from the batsman at which the ball pitches

14. bridge a holding of four or more cards in a suit

15. informal the general idea; the main purpose

16. 1. in depth; fully

    2. eventually

    3. for a long time; interminably

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length More Idioms  

1. see at arm's length; at length; go to any length.

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Etymology

Origin of length

First recorded before 900; Middle English length(e), Old English lengthu; cognate with Dutch lengte, Old Norse lengd; long ¹, -th ¹

Example Sentences

"Having them consistently for this length of time has meant that now they're just part and parcel of him," she said.

From BBC

In December, the average length of unemployment was 24.4 weeks, according to Labor Department data.

From The Wall Street Journal

Styles, who had originally booked six nights at Wembley, responded by doubling the length of his residency.

From BBC

Some courses are free - but others are paywalled - and lessons, which are accessible to any adult in the UK, vary in length with some lasting 20 minutes and others several hours.

From BBC

Ideally, the term of an insurance policy moves from annual to something longer and more aligned with the length of a mortgage.

From Barron's

Related Words

• breadth
• diameter
• dimension
• duration
• height
• limit
• magnitude
• mileage
• period
• piece
• portion
• quantity
• radius
• range
• section
• segment
• space
• span
• stretch
• term