length
Definitions
General English
- noun a measurement of how long something is from end to end
- noun a long piece of something
- noun the twelfth letter of the alphabet, between K and M
General Science
- noun the amount of time between particular points in time
Aviation
- noun a piece of something that is normally measured along its greatest dimension
- noun extent or duration, the distance between two points in space or time
Computing
Construction
- The longest dimension of an object.
Cricket
- noun the point at which a ball pitches, considered in terms of the distance down the wicket that it travels after leaving the bowler’s hand; length is the complement of ‘line’ and together they form the basic prerequisites for effective bowlingCitation ‘To be a good judge of a ball’s length is a source of strength in any player’ (Badminton 1888)
- noun the optimum point at which a ball should pitch in order to cause maximum difficulty for the batsman, lying between the point that produces a long hop and the point that produces a half-volleyCitation ‘Spare your vigour at first, now exert all your strength
But measure each step, and be sure pitch a length’ (Rev R. Cotton, ‘Hambledon Song’ 1778 in HM)Citation ‘Flintoff was awesome. Relentlessly hitting a length, he found seam, a hint of swing, four wickets and a place in Ashes legend’ (Hugh Chevallier, Wisden 2006)Citation ‘Harmison struck early, and hard, getting one to rise wickedly from only a yard or so short of a good length’ (Keith Mitchell, Observer 30 July 2006)See also Test match length
Electronics
- A distance or dimension which has been measured or calculated. Most properly expressed in meters or fractions/multiples of meters such as millimeters or kilometers, although there are various other terms utilized for specific applications, such as angstroms or parsecs.
- The greater or greatest length (1) or extent of something.
- A time interval, especially between specific events. For instance, the time required for a complete cycle.
- The linear storage space occupied by a data structure, block, sector, file, or the like. Usually expressed in bits or bytes.
- symboll
Slang
- noun a six-month prison sentence
- noun the penis. The word is almost invariably used in the phrase slip someone a length.
Wine
- the amount of time a wine’s flavour and aroma will stay on the palate after the wine is swallowed.
Banking
- a measurement of money supply, calculated as M3 (broad money supply), plus Treasury bills, bonds and commercial paper
Food
- Eel
- Oil
Military
- noun a type of blister agent.
Publishing
- noun a letter which causes problems in sans faces, where the lower case ‘l’ and the capital ‘I’ may look the same
Origin & History of “length”
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.).
