Lŏng1, a.
(21), a. [compar. LONGER (lŏng′gər, 82); superl. LONGEST (lŏng′gest, 82).] [A-S. long, lang, O. Sax., O. Fries., D., Dan., & N. H. Ger. lang, O. H. Ger. lanc, Icel. langr, Sw. lång, Goth. laggs, allied to Lat. longus, and M. H. Ger. lingen, imp. lanc, to proceed, prosper.]
Sense 1. Drawn out in a line, or in the direction of length; protracted; extended; as, a long line; — opposed to short, and distinguished from broad or wide.
Sense 2. Drawn out or extended in time; as, a long while; a long series of events; a long sickness or confinement; a long session; a long debate.
Sense 3. Far away; distant.
That we may reserve both fresh and strong Against the tournament, which is not long. Spenser.
Sense 4. Extended to any specified measure; as, a span long; a yard long; a mile long, that is, extended to the measure of a mile, &c.
Sense 5. Slow in coming; dilatory. “This long death.” Spenser.
Sense 6. Continued to a great length; tedious.
A tale should never be too long. Prior.
Sense 7. Continued through a considerable time, or to a great length, as a look, a sound, a story, a line of ancestors, and the like.
Praying for him, and casting a long look that way, he saw the galley leave the pursuit. Sidney.
Sense 8. Far-reaching; extensive.
The perennial existence of bodies corporate, and their fortunes, are things particularly suited to a man who has long views. Burke.
☞ Long is often prefixed to other words to form compounds denoting great extent, remoteness in time or place, continuance, or extended duration of that which is signified by these words, and they are usually of very obvious meaning; as, long-armed, long-backed, long-beaked, long-billed, long-bled, long-buried, long-clawed, long-cleared, long-concealed, long-continued, long-dated, long-delayed, long-descended, long-drawn, long-eared, long-enduring, long-established, long-expected, long-faced, long-fanged, long-feathered, long-fingered, long-footed, long-forgotten, long-haired, long-handed, long-horned, long-jawed, long-leaved, long-legged, long-limbed, long-lived, long-liver, long-lost, long-loved, long-nailed, long-named, long-necked, long-nursed, long-parted, long-pated, long-promised, long-settled, long-shafted, long-shanked, long-skirted, long-sleeved, long-spun, long-stretching, long-tailed, long-toed, long-tried, long-visaged, long-winged, long-wooled, long-worded, long-yearned, and the like.
In the long run, the whole course of things taken together; and hence, in the ultimate result. — Long cloth, cotton cloth. — Long clothes, the clothes worn by an infant. — Long dozen, one more than a dozen; thirteen. — Long home, the grave, or death. — Long vacation (Eng. Courts), a recess from the 10th of August to the 24th of October at common law, and to the 28th of October in chancery, in every year. Wharton. — Of long, a long time. [Obs.] Fairfax.
