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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary length ETYMOLOGY Middle English lengthe, from Old English lengthu,from lang long DATE before 12th century 1. a. the longer or longest dimension of an object b. a measured distance or dimension 10 feet in length — see metric system table, weight table c. the quality or state of being long 2. a. duration or extent in time b. relative duration or stress of a sound 3. a. distance or extent in space b. the length of something taken as a unit of measure his horse led by a length 4. the degree to which something (as a course of action or a line of thought) is carried — often used in plural went to great lengths to learn the truth 5. a. a long expanse or stretch b. a piece constituting or usable as part of a whole or of a connected series : section a length of pipe 6. the longer or vertical dimension of a piece of clothing — often used in combination elbow-length sleeves • • • - at length English Etymology length O.E. lengðu "length," from P.Gmc. *langitho, noun of quality from *langgaz (root of O.E. lang "long") + -itho, abstract noun suffix. Cognate with O.N. lengd, O.Fris. lengethe, Du. lengte. Figurative sense of "the distance one goes, extremity to which something is carried" is from 1690s. Phrase at length "to full extent" is attested from c.1500. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ length length / leNW / nounSIZE / MEASUREMENT 大小；度量 1. [U, C] the size or measurement of sth from one end to the other 长；长度: This room is twice the length of the kitchen. 这个房间的长度是厨房的两倍。 The river is 300 miles in length. 这条河长 300 英里。 The snake usually reaches a length of 100 cm. 蛇一般长达 100 厘米。 He ran the entire length of the beach (= from one end to the other). 他跑完了海滩的全长。 Did you see the length of his hair? 你看见他头发有多长吗？ ⇨ compare breadth (1), width (1) TIME 时间 2. [U, C] the amount of time that sth lasts (持续)时间的长短: We discussed shortening the length of the course. 我们就缩短这门课程的时限进行了讨论。 He was disgusted at the length of time he had to wait. 他非常讨厌要等那么长时间。 She got a headache if she had to read for any length of time (= for a long time). 她读书时间长了就头疼。 Size of pension depends partly on length of service with the company. 退休金的多少部份取决于为公司服务时间的长短。 Each class is 45 minutes in length. 每一节课为 45 分钟。 OF BOOK / MOVIE 书；电影 3. [U, C] the amount of writing in a book, or a document, etc.; the amount of time that a film / movie lasts (书或文件等的)篇幅；(电影的)片长: Her novels vary in length. 她的小说篇幅长短不一。 -LENGTH …长度 4. (in adjectives 构成形容词) having the length mentioned 有…长度的: shoulder-length hair 长及肩的头发 ⇨ see also full-length , knee-length OF SWIMMING POOL 游泳池 5. [C] the distance from one end of a swimming pool to the other 游泳池长度(一端至另一端的距离): He swims 50 lengths a day. 他每天游 50 个游泳池那么长的距离。 ⇨ compare width (3) IN RACE 赛跑 6. [C] the size of a horse or boat from one end to the other, when it is used to measure the distance between two horses or boats taking part in a race (马或船的)自身长度: The horse won by two clear lengths. 那匹马以整整领先两个马身的优势获胜。 LONG THIN PIECE 细长的段 7. [C] a long thin piece of sth 细长的一段(或一节、一根等): a length of rope / string / wire 一根绳子/细线/金属线 ⇨ see also long adj. IDIOMS ▪ at 'length | at... length 1. for a long time and in detail 长时间；详尽地: He quoted at length from the report. 他大段大段地引用报告中的话。 We have already discussed this matter at great length. 我们已经十分详尽地讨论了这个问题。 2. (literary) after a long time 经过一段长时间以后；最后: 'I'm still not sure,' he said at length. "我还是没把握。"他最后说道。 ▪ go to any, some, great, etc. 'lengths (to do sth) to put a lot of effort into doing sth, especially when this seems extreme 竭尽全力；不遗余力: She goes to extraordinary lengths to keep her private life private. 她竭尽全力让自己的私生活不受干扰。 ▪ the length and 'breadth of... in or to all parts of a place 到处；处处；各地: They have travelled the length and breadth of Europe giving concerts. 他们为举行音乐会走遍了欧洲各地。 ⇨ more at arm n. Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English length noun 1 distance from one end to the other ADJ. entire, full, maximum, whole There is a maximum length of 2,500 words. The queue stretched the whole length of the High Street. | great a ditch of great length and width | medium | overall, total VERB + LENGTH estimate, measure He measured the length and width of the table. | have The vehicle has an overall length of 12 feet. | grow to, reach These fish can reach a length of over two metres. | double in, increase in | cut sth to Measure the size of the window and cut the cloth to length. | drive, run, swim, travel, walk, etc. The fence runs the length of the footpath. PREP. along the ~ of There were coloured lights along the whole length of the street. | in ~ The pipe was two metres in length. PHRASES at arm's length He has to hold newspapers at arm's length to focus on the print. | double, twice, three times, half, etc. the length of sth The queen bee is twice the length of a worker bee. 2 amount of time that sth lasts ADJ. considerable, great, inordinate | reasonable VERB + LENGTH cut, reduce, shorten | increase LENGTH + VERB increase | decrease PREP. at ~ He told me at length about his new job. | in ~ Each lesson was an hour in length. PHRASES length of time They complained about the inordinate length of time they had to wait. 3 length of a swimming pool VERB + LENGTH do, swim I did 20 lengths today. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition n. Function: noun 1 Synonyms: DISTANCE 1, stretch 2 Synonyms: RANGE 2, compass, orbit, panorama, purview, radius, reach, realm, scope, stretchWebster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: arm's length , or at length, or length-breadth index , or length-height index , or measure one's length , or oil length , or panel length , or basal length , or pulse length modulation , or sled-length , or speed-length ratio , or standard length , or stem length , or stove length , or bishop's length , or restriction fragment length polymorphism , or box-length , or breaking length , or cable length , or cable's length , or clear length , or crown-rump length , or dental length , or alphabet length, or equivalent focal length , or floor-length , or focal length , or fork length , or full-length , or glabello-occipital length , or half-length length \ˈleŋ(k)th, ˈlen(t)th\ noun (plural lengths \-ths, ˈleŋks\) Etymology: Middle English lengthe, from Old English lengthu (akin to Old Frisian lengethe length, Middle Dutch lengede, lengde, Old Norse lengd), from lang, long long + -thu -th — more at long 1. a. : the longer of the 2 straight-line dimensions of a surface or plane or the longest of the 3 straight-line dimensions of a solid :extent from end to end — distinguished from width < the island was three miles in length > b. : a distance or dimension expressed in units of linear measure < a length of 10 inches > c. : the quality or state of being long — opposed to shortness < weariness and boredom exaggerated the length of the journey > d. : wavelength 2. a. : duration or extent in time < doesn't seem to prove much, considering the lengths of the lives of both women — Elizabeth Bishop > < stood weaving on his feet for the length of a long breath — F.B.Gipson > < finally the length of the high school was standardized … at four years — T.H.Briggs > b. (1) : relative duration of a sound (as a vowel or syllable in speech or prosody or a note in music) (2) : protracted duration or stress of a sound in speech, prosody, or music < the long a gives the word sale its length > c. archaic : prolixity or excess in expression < there is such length in grief — Shakespeare > 3. a. : distance or extent in space < it would be hard, even in New England, to match Main Street for its length of 18th century square houses — Elizabeth Coatsworth > < appeared dimly white round a distant bend of the dusty road, a weary length behind — Haldane Macfall > b. (1) : the measure of something taken as a unit of distance < darted across the highway scarcely two car lengths ahead of me > < kept most of his acquaintances at arm's length > (2) : the length of a competitor (as a horse or boat) taken as a unit in stating the margin of a lead or of victory in a race < he led by three lengths at the top of the stretch > (3) : the fully extended body < stretched her length lazily on the warm earth > < took a hard right on the jaw and measured his length on the floor > 4. a. chiefly Scotland : an indicated or specified distance < I'll go with you the length to the hall > b. : the degree, limit, or extreme to which a course of action or a line of thought or discussion is carried < tended to carry his policy of masterly inactivity to dangerous lengths — Harvey Graham > < even went the length of reading the play … to ascertain what it was all about — G.B.Shaw > < here we see the foolish lengths to which human malevolence will go — Norman Douglas > 5. a. : a long expanse or stretch < brushed her lengths of lustrous hair > < large lengths of seas and shores between my father and my mother lay — Shakespeare > b. : a piece constituting or usable as part of a whole or of a connected series : segment , section < steel bars are furnished in standard shapes and sizes, in both coils and straight lengths — advt > < short lengths of film with both ends spliced together to permit continuous repetition — W.F.Mackey > 6. a. : fluidity b. : ability to yield a fluid mixture — compare oil length 7. archaic : a 42-line portion of an actor's part 8. : the volume of wort drawn from a quantity of malt during brewing 9. : the holding of more than a player's proportionate share of the cards of one suit in a card game (as four or more at bridge) < he had length in trumps > 10. a. : the distance an especially well pitched ball in cricket travels before hitting the ground < bowled a good length > < pitched the ball a fraction short of a length — Ray Robinson > b. : the distance to be shot in archery 11. : the vertical dimension of an article of clothing especially with reference to the part of the body it reaches or its height above the floor < stockings are made in three lengths > < evening dresses in short and long lengths > < knee-length pants > < a hip-length jacket > < a floor-length gown > • - at length |
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