length
pronunciation
How to pronounce length in British English:
UK [leŋθ]
How to pronounce length in American English:
US [leŋθ]
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- Noun:
- the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest horizontal dimension of something that is fixed in place
- continuance in time
- the property of being the extent of something from beginning to end
- size of the gap between two places
- a section of something that is long and narrow
Word Origin
- length
- length: [OE] Length was coined in the prehistoric Germanic period from the adjective *langgaz (source of English long) and the abstract noun suffix *-ithō. The resultant *langgithō has subsequently diversified to Dutch lengte, Swedish längd, Danish længde, and English length. (German has plumped for the different noun derivative länge ‘length’, whose English relative lenge ‘length’ survived until the 17th century.)=> long
- length (n.)
- Old English lengðu "length," from Proto-Germanic *langitho, noun of quality from *langgaz (root of Old English lang; see long (adj.)) + *-itho, abstract noun suffix (see -th (2)). Cognate with Old Norse lengd, Old Frisian lengethe, Dutch 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.
Example
- 1. But the length of treatment depends on the problem .
- 2. At length he thought he had reached certainty of mind .
- 3. Apart from length , what is the difference ?
- 4. The interview has been edited for length and clarity .
- 5. The flea can jump 350 times its body length .