Definitions for length
lɛŋkθ, lɛŋθ, lɛnθlength

Princeton's WordNet(3.34 / 9 votes)Rate this definition:

1. lengthnoun

   the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

   "the length of the table was 5 feet"

2. duration, lengthnoun

   continuance in time

   "the ceremony was of short duration"; "he complained about the length of time required"

3. lengthnoun

   the property of being the extent of something from beginning to end

   "the editor limited the length of my article to 500 words"

4. distance, lengthnoun

   size of the gap between two places

   "the distance from New York to Chicago"; "he determined the length of the shortest line segment joining the two points"

5. lengthnoun

   a section of something that is long and narrow

   "a length of timber"; "a length of tubing"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. lengthnoun

   The measurement of distance along the longest dimension of an object.

2. lengthnoun

   duration

3. lengthnoun

   The length of a horse, used to indicate the distance between horses at the end of a race.

4. lengthnoun

   Distance between the two ends of a line segment.

5. lengthnoun

   The distance down the pitch that the ball bounces on its way to the batsman.

6. lengthnoun

   total extent

   The length of a book

7. lengthnoun

   part of something that's long, a physical piece of something

   A length of rope

8. Etymology: lengþu

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Lengthnoun

   Etymology: from leng , Saxon.

   1. The extent of any thing material from end to end; the longest line that can be drawn through a body.

   There is in Ticinum a church that is in length one hundred feet, in breadth twenty, and in heighth near fifty: it reporteth the voice twelve or thirteen times. Francis Bacon.

   2. Horizontal extension.

   Mezentius rushes on his foes,
   And first unhappy Acron overthrows;
   Stretch’d at his length he spurns the swarthy ground. Dryd.

   3. A certain portion of space or time.

   Large lengths of seas and shores
   Between my father and my mother lay. William Shakespeare, K. John.

   To get from th’ enemy, and Ralph, free;
   Lest danger, fears, and foes, behind,
   And beat, at least three lengths, the wind. Hudibras.

   Time glides along with undiscover’d haste,
   The future but a length beyond the past. John Dryden, Ovid.

   What length of lands, what oceans have you pass’d,
   What storms sustain’d, and on what shores been cast? Dryd.

   4. Extent of duration.

   Having thus got the idea of duration, the next thing is to get some measure of this common duration, whereby to judge of its different lengths. John Locke.

   5. Long duration or protraction.

   May heav’n, great monarch, still augment your bliss
   With length of days, and every day like this. Dryden.

   Such toil requir’d the Roman name,
   Such length of labour for so vast a frame. John Dryden, Æn.

   In length of time it will cover the whole plain, and make one mountain with that on which it now stands. Addison.

   6. Reach or expansion of any thing.

   I do not recommend to all a pursuit of sciences, to those extensive lengths to which the moderns have advanced them. Isaac Watts, Improvement of the Mind, p. i.

   7. Full extent; uncontracted state.

   If Lætitia, who sent me this account, will acquaint me with the worthy gentleman’s name; I will insert it at length in one of my papers. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 40.

   8. Distance.

   He had marched to the length of Exeter, which he had some thought of besieging. Edward Hyde, b. viii.

   9. End; latter part of any assignable time.

   Churches purged of things burdensome, all was brought at the length unto that wherein now we stand. Richard Hooker, b. iv.

   A crooked stick is not straitened unless it be bent as far on the clear contrary side, that so it may settle itself at the length in a middle state of evenness between them both. Richard Hooker.

   10. At Length. [It was formerly written at the length.] At last; in conclusion.

   At length, at length, I have thee in my arms,
   Though our malevolent stars have struggled hard,
   And held us long asunder. John Dryden, King Arthur.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Lengthadjective

   the longest, or longer, dimension of any object, in distinction from breadth or width; extent of anything from end to end; the longest line which can be drawn through a body, parallel to its sides; as, the length of a church, or of a ship; the length of a rope or line

2. Lengthadjective

   a portion of space or of time considered as measured by its length; -- often in the plural

3. Lengthadjective

   the quality or state of being long, in space or time; extent; duration; as, some sea birds are remarkable for the length of their wings; he was tired by the length of the sermon, and the length of his walk

4. Lengthadjective

   a single piece or subdivision of a series, or of a number of long pieces which may be connected together; as, a length of pipe; a length of fence

5. Lengthadjective

   detail or amplification; unfolding; continuance as, to pursue a subject to a great length

6. Lengthadjective

   distance

7. Lengthverb

   to lengthen

8. Etymology: [OE. lengthe, AS. leng, fr. lang, long, long; akin to D. lengte, Dan. lngde, Sw. lngd, Icel. lengd. See Long, a. ]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Length

   In geometric measurements, length is the longest dimension of an object. In other contexts "length" is the measured dimension of an object. For example it is possible to cut a length of a wire which is shorter than wire thickness. Length may be distinguished from height, which is vertical extent, and width or breadth, which are the distance from side to side, measuring across the object at right angles to the length. Length is a measure of one dimension, whereas area is a measure of two dimensions and volume is a measure of three dimensions. In most systems of measurement, the unit of length is a fundamental unit, from which other units are defined.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Length

   length, n. quality of being long: extent from end to end: the longest measure of anything: long continuance: detail: (prosody) time occupied in uttering a vowel or syllable: the quality of a vowel as long or short: any definite portion of a known extent.—v.t. Length′en, to increase in length: to draw out.—v.i. to grow longer.—adv. Length′ily.—n. Length′iness.—adv. Length′wise, in the direction of the length.—adj. Length′y, of great length: rather long—(obs.) Length′ful.—Length of days, prolonged life.—At length, in the full extent: at last; Go great lengths, Go to all lengths, to use extreme efforts; Go to the length of, to proceed as far as. [A.S.,—lang, long.]

Matched Categories

1. • Extent
   • Fundamental Quantity
   • Physical Property
   • Section
   • Size

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'length' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1453

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'length' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1808

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'length' in Nouns Frequency: #564

How to pronounce length?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say length in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of length in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of length in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of length in a Sentence

1. H. G. Wells, Preface of "The Complete Science-Fiction Treasury of H.G. Wells":

   It becomes a bore doing imaginative books that do not touch imaginations, and at length one stops even planning them.

2. Mark Bailey:

   Every resource has been made available to accelerate recovery works, queensland Rail expects to reopen the full length of the 1,000-km Mount Isa line from Monday, April 29.

3. Francis Ford Coppola:

   Robert Evans had strong instincts as evidenced by the long list of great films in Robert Evans career, when I worked with Bob, some of his helpful ideas included suggesting John Marley as Woltz and Sterling Hayden as the Police Captain, and John Marley as Woltz ultimate realization that' The Godfather' could be 2 hours and 45 minutes in length ; also, making a movie out of' The Cotton Club' — casting Richard Gere and Gregory Hines, and bringing Milena Canonero, George Faison, Richard Sylbert, and many other talented people to work on the film. May The Kid always stay in the picture.

4. Linda Waring:

   In the end, the snake finally lost the battle when the jaws of the gator made a direct hit down the length of his body. It was a hard fought battle.

5. Jean Rostand:

   The only things one can admire at length are those one admires without knowing why.

Popularity rank by frequency of use