length

length
(lg)
   an informal unit of distance. The distance between competitors in horse races, boat races, and similar situations is naturally expressed in lengths, with one length equal to the average length of a horse, boat, etc. In horse racing, the length of a horse is often understood to be about 8 feet or 2.4 meters. However, since the horses are moving a different speeds the distance between them as they near the finish line is changing. To avoid this uncertainty, the reported distance in lengths is often computed as 5 times the difference in their running times in seconds. This means the length is actually interpreted as a unit of time equal to 1/5 second. (Since the speed of a thoroughbred horse often exceeds 50 feet per second, this calculation understates the distance.)

Dictionary of units of measurement. 2015.

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  • length — W2S2 [leŋθ] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(size)¦ 2¦(time)¦ 3¦(books/films etc)¦ 4 run/stretch/walk etc the (full) length of something 5 shoulder length/knee length etc 6 go to some/great/any lengths (to do something) 7 at (some/great etc) length 8 the length and… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • length — [ leŋθ ] noun *** 1. ) count or uncount a measurement of how long something is in size: Cut the cloth to the required length. This beautiful bird is small, with a total length of about three inches. The length of your swimming pool is not… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Length — is the long dimension of any object. The length of a thing is the distance between its ends, its linear extent as measured from end to end. This may be distinguished from height, which is vertical extent, and width or breadth, which are the… …   Wikipedia

  • Length — (l[e^]ngth), n. [OE. lengthe, AS. leng[eth], fr. lang, long, long; akin to D. lengte, Dan. l[ae]ngde, Sw. l[ a]ngd, Icel. lengd. See {Long}, a. ] 1. The longest, or longer, dimension of any object, in distinction from {breadth} or {width}; extent …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • length — [leŋkth, leŋth] n. [ME < OE lengthu < base of lang, LONG1 + TH1] 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… …   English World dictionary

  • length — length; length·en; length·en·er; length·ful; length·i·ly; length·i·ness; length·ways; …   English syllables

  • length´i|ly — length|y «LEHNGK thee, LEHNG », adjective, length|i|er, length|i|est. 1. a) having unusually great length; long. b) (of speeches, a speaker, a writer, or the like) too long; long winded; tedious: »His directions were so le …   Useful english dictionary

  • length|y — «LEHNGK thee, LEHNG », adjective, length|i|er, length|i|est. 1. a) having unusually great length; long. b) (of speeches, a speaker, a writer, or the like) too long; long winded; tedious: »His directions were so le …   Useful english dictionary

  • length — ► NOUN 1) the measurement or extent of something from end to end; the greater or greatest of two or more dimensions of a body. 2) the amount of time occupied by something. 3) the quality of being long. 4) the full distance that a thing extends… …   English terms dictionary

  • -length — [leŋkth, leŋth] combining form forming adjectives of a (specified) length, of such length as to reach a (specified) point or part [full length] * * * …   Universalium

  • -length — [leŋkth, leŋth] combining form forming adjectives of a (specified) length, of such length as to reach a (specified) point or part [full length] …   English World dictionary

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