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length Definition

length (leŋkt̸h, leŋt̸h)

noun

  1. the measure of how long a thing is; measurement of anything from end to end; the greatest of the two or three dimensions of anything
  2. extent in space; distance anything extends
  3. extent in time; duration
  4. a long stretch or extent
  5. the quality, state, or fact of being long
  6. a piece of a certain or standardized length a length of stove pipe
  7. a unit of measure consisting of the length of an object or animal competing in a race to win a boat race by two lengths
  8. Phonet.
    1. the duration of the pronunciation of a vowel the i in bride has greater length than the i in bright
    2. popularly the quality of a vowel
  9. Prosody syllabic quantity

Etymology: ME < OE lengthu < base of lang, long + -th

length Idioms

at full length

stretched out; completely extended

at length

  1. after a long time; finally
  2. in or to the whole extent; in full
  3. for a long time and in great detail

go to any length

to do whatever is necessary; scruple at nothing

length Synonyms

length

n.

  1. Linear distance

    distance, space, measure, span, reach, range, longitude, remoteness, stride, magnitude, compass, portion, dimension, unit, radius, diameter, linearity, longness, mileage, stretch; see also extent.

  2. Extent in space

    extensiveness, spaciousness, ranginess, endlessness, continuance, tallness, height, loftiness, lengthiness, expansion; see also breadth 2, expanse, width.

    Antonyms shortness, nearness*, closeness.

  3. Duration

    period, interval, season, year, month, week, day, minute, continuance, limit, lastingness; see also term 2, time 1.

at full length

extended, stretched out, lengthwise; see long 1.

at length

  1. after a long time, eventually, in the end; see finally 2.

  2. extensively, in full, wholly, without omission; see completely.

go to any length <em>or</strong> go to great lengths

do anything, stop at nothing, achieve by any means; see try 1.

length Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • vary: In addition, there is a constant stream of Latin Americanists who visit the Center for periods of varying length.
  • swim: I would experiment on the average times it takes swimmers to swim 20 lengths.
  • calculate: The Influence of Tree Canopy An often overlooked point when calculating tree shadow lengths is the radial distance of the crown spread.

Adjective modifier

  • focal: A convex lens has a focal length of 150 mm.
  • entire: Apply the varnish in the direction of the grain to a couple of boards at a time along their entire length.
  • maximum: Maximum length for any article is usually 500 words.
  • average: Average length of stay in hospital over the 2 years = 4 nights.
  • total: The head is roughly a third of the total body length, with a small mouth fronted by large fused teeth.
  • overall: Footing a ladder is only considered to be effective for ladders of not more than 6 meters in overall length.

Modifies a noun

  • polymorphism: The AFLP ( amplified fragment length polymorphism ) method selectively amplifies restriction fragments from total genomic DNA.
  • portrait: Full length portrait of two Kachin women standing in front of a wooden fence.

Noun used with modifier

  • stride: Power is required to sprint, the greater the leg power the greater the stride length.
  • arm: At arms length try pouring water into a glass or bringing two pencil ends on top of each.
  • vector: Home Figure 5-1 shows vector data register numbers, sizes, and maximum vector lengths.
  • knee: School type black trousers or school type knee length skirt.
  • shoulder: Erin is described as being around 5 feet 9 tall, of medium build, she has blue eyes and shoulder length hair.

Possessives

arm: Light them at arm's length, using a taper.

Preposition: of

  • stay: Average length of stay in hospital over the 2 years = 4 nights.
  • rope: After a long delay Blondin finally emerged, climbed up and quickly ran the hundred yard length of rope.
  • string: In all such strings, the zeroth element defines the length of the string.