Topic: MEASUREMENT
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| Language: | Old English |
| Origin: | lengthu, from lang; LONG1 |
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length S2 W2
1 the measurement of how long something is from one end to the other [↪ breadth, width]: We measured the length and width of the living room. You'll need several pieces of string of different lengths.
size
[uncountable and countable]We measured the length and width of the living room.You'll need several pieces of string of different lengths.2 the amount of time that you spend doing something or that something continues [↪ duration]
time
[uncountable and countable] length of Your pension will depend on your length of employment. What's the average length of stay in hospital?
Your pension will depend on your length of employment.What's the average length of stay in hospital?3 the amount of writing in a book, or the amount of time that a film, play etc continues
books/films etc
[uncountable and countable] length of We had to cut the length of the book by one third.
We had to cut the length of the book by one third.4 to go or move from one end to the other of something : The wall ran the full length of the garden. They walked the length of the pier.
run/stretch/walk etc the (full) length of something
The wall ran the full length of the garden.They walked the length of the pier.5 reaching down as far as your shoulders etc : shoulder-length hair an ankle-length dress
shoulder-length/knee-length etc
shoulder-length hairan ankle-length dress6 to try very hard or to do whatever is necessary to achieve something that is important to you : He went to great lengths to keep their name out of the papers. Bella would go to any lengths to fulfil her ambition.
go to some/great/any lengths (to do something)
He went to great lengths to keep their name out of the papers.Bella would go to any lengths to fulfil her ambition.7
at (some/great etc) length
a) if you talk at length about something, you talk about it for a long time We've already discussed the subject at great length.
We've already discussed the subject at great length.b) literary after a long time : 'I don't agree,' she said at length.
'I don't agree,' she said at length.8 in or through every part of a large area : The police searched the length and breadth of the country.
the length and breadth of the area/country/land etc
The police searched the length and breadth of the country.10 the measurement of a horse, boat etc from one end to the other - used when saying how far the horse, boat etc is ahead of another
in races
[countable]DSH11 the distance from one end of a swimming pool to the other
