long

¹

[ lawng, long ]

adjective

, long·er [lawng, -ger, long, -], long·est [lawng, -gist, long, -].

1. having considerable linear extent in space:

   a long distance; a long handle.

   Synonyms: extensive, lengthy

2. having considerable duration in time:

   a long conversation; a long while.

   Synonyms: extended, protracted

3. extending, lasting, or totaling a number of specified units:

   eight miles long; eight hours long.

4. containing many items or units:

   a long list.

5. requiring a considerable time to relate, read, etc.:

   a long story.

6. extending beyond normal or moderate limits:

   a long, boring speech.

   Synonyms: boring, tedious, prolix, wordy

7. experienced as passing slowly, because of the difficulty, tedium, or unpleasantness involved:

   long years of study.

8. reaching well into the past:

   a long memory.

9. the longer of two or the longest of several:

   the long way home; a brick with the long side exposed.

10. taking a long time; slow:

    He's certainly long getting here.

11. forward-looking or considering all aspects; broad:

    to take a long view of life.

12. intense, thorough, or critical; seriously appraising:

    a long look at one's past mistakes.

13. having an ample supply or endowment of something (often followed by on ):

    to be long on advice; to be long on brains.

14. having a considerable time to run, as a promissory note.
15. Chiefly Law. distant or remote in time:

    a long date.

16. extending relatively far:

    a man with a long reach.

17. being higher or taller than usual:

    long casement windows.

18. being against great odds; unlikely:

    a long chance.

19. (of beverages) mixed or diluted with a large amount of soda, seltzer, etc.:

    highballs, collinses, and other long drinks.

20. (of the head or skull) of more than ordinary length from front to back.
21. Phonetics.
    1. lasting a relatively long time:

       “Feed” has a longer sound than “feet” or “fit.”

    2. belonging to a class of sounds considered as usually longer in duration than another class, as the vowel of bought as compared to that of but, and in many languages serving as a distinctive feature of phonemes, as the ah in German Bahn in contrast with the a in Bann, or the tt in Italian fatto in contrast with the t in fato ( short ( def 16b ) ).
    3. having the sound of the English vowels in mate, meet, mite, mote, moot, and mute, historically descended from vowels that were long in duration.
22. Prosody. (of a syllable in quantitative verse) lasting a longer time than a short syllable.
23. Finance. holding or accumulating stocks, futures, commodities, etc., with the expectation of a rise in prices:

    a long position in chemicals.

24. Gambling.
    1. marked by a large difference in the numbers of the given betting ratio or in the amounts wagered:

       long odds.

    2. of or relating to the larger amount bet.
25. Ceramics. (of clay) very plastic; fat.

noun

1. a comparatively long time:

   They haven't been gone for long. Will it take long?

2. something that is long:

   The signal was two longs and a short.

3. a size of garment for men who are taller than average.
4. a garment, as a suit or overcoat, in this size:

   The shorts and the longs are hung separately.

5. Finance. a person who accumulates or holds stocks or commodities with the expectation of a rise in prices.
6. Music. longa.

adverb

1. for or through a great extent of space or, especially, time:

   a reform long advocated.

2. for or throughout a specified extent, especially of time:

   How long did he stay?

3. (used elliptically in referring to the length of an absence, delay, etc.):

   Will she be long?

4. throughout a specified period of time (usually used to emphasize a preceding noun):

   It's been muggy all summer long.

5. at a point of time far distant from the time indicated:

   long before.

long

²

[ lawng, long ]

verb (used without object)

1. to have an earnest or strong desire or craving; yearn: to long to return home.

   to long for spring;

   to long to return home.

long

³

[ lawng, long ]

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to be suitable or fitting.
2. Obsolete. to be the possession; belong.

Long

⁴

[ lawng, long ]

noun

1. Crawford Wil·liam·son [wil, -y, uh, m-s, uh, n], 1815–78, U.S. surgeon.
2. Hu·ey Pierce [hyoo, -ee], 1893–1935, U.S. politician: governor of Louisiana 1928–31; U.S. senator 1931–35.
3. Russell B(il·liu) [bil, -yoo], 1918–2003, U.S. lawyer and politician: U.S. senator 1948–87 (son of Huey Long).
4. Stephen Harriman, 1784–1864, U.S. army officer and explorer.

long.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. longitude.

long

¹

/ lɒŋ /

verb

1. archaic.
   intr to belong, appertain, or be appropriate

long

²

abbreviation for

1. longitude

Long

³

/ lɒŋ /

noun

1. LongCrawford Williamson18151878MUSMEDICINE: surgeonMEDICINE: surgeon Crawford Williamson. 1815–78, US surgeon. He was the first to use ether as an anaesthetic

long-

⁴

adverb

1. in combination for or lasting a long time

   long-lasting

   long-awaited

   long-established

long

⁵

/ lɒŋ /

adjective

1. having relatively great extent in space on a horizontal plane
2. having relatively great duration in time
3. 1. postpositive of a specified number of units in extent or duration

      three hours long

   2. ( in combination )

      a two-foot-long line

4. having or consisting of a relatively large number of items or parts

   a long list

5. having greater than the average or expected range

   a long memory

6. being the longer or longest of alternatives

   the long way to the bank

7. having more than the average or usual quantity, extent, or duration

   a long match

8. seeming to occupy a greater time than is really so

   she spent a long afternoon waiting in the departure lounge

9. intense or thorough (esp in the phrase a long look )
10. (of drinks) containing a large quantity of nonalcoholic beverage
11. (of a garment) reaching to the wearer's ankles
12. informal.
    foll by on plentifully supplied or endowed (with)

    long on good ideas

13. phonetics of a speech sound, esp a vowel
    1. of relatively considerable duration
    2. classified as long, as distinguished from the quality of other vowels
    3. (in popular usage) denoting the qualities of the five English vowels in such words as mate, mete, mite, moat, moot, and mute
14. from end to end; lengthwise
15. unlikely to win, happen, succeed, etc

    a long chance

16. prosody
    1. denoting a vowel of relatively great duration or (esp in classical verse) followed by more than one consonant
    2. denoting a syllable containing such a vowel
    3. (in verse that is not quantitative) carrying the emphasis or ictus
17. finance having or characterized by large holdings of securities or commodities in anticipation of rising prices

    a long position

18. cricket (of a fielding position) near the boundary

    long leg

19. informal.
    (of people) tall and slender
20. in the long run
    See run
21. long in the tooth informal.
    old or ageing

adverb

1. for a certain time or period

   how long will it last?

2. for or during an extensive period of time

   long into the next year

3. at a distant time; quite a bit of time

   long before I met you

   long ago

4. finance into a position with more security or commodity holdings than are required by sale contracts and therefore dependent on rising prices for profit

   to go long

5. as long as or so long as
   1. for or during just the length of time that
   2. inasmuch as; since
   3. provided that; if
6. no longer
   not any more; formerly but not now

noun

1. a long time (esp in the phrase for long )
2. a relatively long thing, such as a signal in Morse code
3. a clothing size for tall people, esp in trousers
4. phonetics a long vowel or syllable
5. finance a person with large holdings of a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in its price; bull
6. music a note common in medieval music but now obsolete, having the time value of two breves
7. before long
   soon
8. the long and the short of it
   the essential points or facts

long

⁶

/ lɒŋ /

verb

1. intr; foll by for or an infinitive to have a strong desire

Other Words From

• longly adverb
• longness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of long¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective longe, Old English lang, long; cognate with Dutch, German lang, Old Norse langr, Gothic langs, Latin longus; noun, adverb, derivative of the adjective

Origin of long²

First recorded before 900; Middle English longen, Old English langian “grow longer, yearn after, summon”; long ¹

Origin of long³

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English longen “to be suitable, fitting, or proper,” derivative of long “attributable (to), dependent (on),” Old English gelang “belonging (to), dependent (on)”; belong, along

Word History and Origins

Origin of long¹

Old English langian to belong, from gelang at hand, belonging to; compare along

Origin of long²

Old English lang; related to Old High German lang, Old Norse langr, Latin longus

Origin of long³

Old English langian; related to long ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. as long as,
   1. provided that:

      As long as you can come by six, I'll be here.

   2. seeing that; since:

      As long as you're going to the grocery anyway, buy me a pint of ice cream.

   3. Also so long as. during the time that; through the period that:

      As long as we were neighbors, they never invited us inside their house.

2. before long, soon:

   We should have news of her whereabouts before long.

3. the long and the short of, the point or gist of; substance of: Also the long and short of.

   The long and the short of it is that they will be forced to sell all their holdings.

More idioms and phrases containing long

• as long as
• at (long) last
• before long
• come a long way
• (long) drawn out
• go a long way toward
• happy as the day is long
• in the long run
• make a long story short
• so long
• longer

Synonym Study

See yearn.

Example Sentences

Museum stores have come a long way from being mere pit stops for postcards and key chains.

From Los Angeles Times

Thanks to fluoridation, the CDC says, “tooth loss is no longer considered inevitable, and increasingly adults in the United States are retaining most of their teeth for a lifetime.”

From Los Angeles Times

Is honesty, as in telling the truth, no longer a requirement for seeking and holding public office?

From Los Angeles Times

The period under review is 800 to 1600 — the long Middle Ages, a stretch that roughly spans the death of Emperor Charlemagne and the end of the Renaissance.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite the hard work and long hours, Heffernan says making “Blitz” was a great time from start to finish.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• yearn