long
1
long
(lông, lŏng) adjective
Abbr. lg.
1.
a. Extending a relatively great distance. b. Having relatively great height; tall. c. Having the greater length of two or the greatest length of several: the long edge of the door.
2. Of relatively great duration: a long time.
3. Of a specified linear extent or duration: a mile long; an hour long.
4. Made up of many members or items: a long shopping list.
5. Extending beyond an average or a standard: a long game.
6. Tediously protracted; lengthy: a long speech.
7. Concerned with distant issues; far-reaching: took a long view of the geopolitical issues.
8. Involving substantial chance; risky: long odds.
9. Having an abundance or excess of: "politicians whose résumés are long on competence" (Margaret Garrard Warner).
10. Having a holding of a commodity or security in expectation of a rise in price: long on soybeans.
11. Linguistics. a. Having a comparatively great duration. Used of a vowel or consonant. b. Of, relating to, or being a vowel sound in English, such as the vowel sound in mate or feet, that is historically descended from a long vowel.
12. a. Stressed or accented. Used of a syllable in accentual prosody. b. Being of relatively great duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.
adverb
1.
During or for an extended period of time: The promotion was long due.
2.
At or to a considerable distance; far: She walked long past the end of the trail.
3.
For or throughout a specified period: They talked all night long.
4.
At a point of time distant from that referred to: That event took place long before we were born.
5.
Into or in a long position, as of a commodity market.
noun
1.
A long time: This won't take long.
2.
Linguistics. A long syllable, vowel, or consonant.
3. One who acquires holdings in a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in price.
4. a. A garment size for a tall person. b. longs Trousers extending to the feet or ankles.
idiom.
any longer
For more time: can't wait any longer.
as long as or so long as (sŌ lông ăz)
1.
During the time that: I'll stay as long as I can.
2.
Inasmuch as; since: As long as you're up, get me a drink.
3.
Under the condition that; provided that: "So long as we don't understand it too well, every other language is poetry" (Anatole Broyard).
before long
Soon.
long ago
1.
At a time or during a period well before the present: I read that book long ago.
2.
A time well before the present: heroes of long ago.
long in the tooth
Growing old.
no longer
Not now as formerly: He no longer smokes.
not long for
Unlikely to remain for much more time in: not long for this world.
the long and the short of it
The substance or gist: You can look on the front page of the paper for the long and the short of it.
[Middle English, from Old English lang.]