long 1 (lông, l?ng)adj. long·er, long·est 1. a. Extending or traveling 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. a. Extending beyond an average or standard: a long game.b. Extending or landing beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal: Her first serve was long.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. a. Linguistics Having a comparatively great duration. Used of a vowel or consonant.b. Grammar Relating to or being the English speech sounds (?, ?, ?, ?, o?o) that are tense vowels or diphthongs.12. Being of relatively great duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.adv. longer, longest 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. Beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal: hit the return long.4. For or throughout a specified period: They talked all night long.5. At a point of time distant from that referred to: That event took place long before we were born.6. Into or in a long position, as of a commodity market.n.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.Idioms: any longer For more time: can’t wait any longer. before long Soon. long ago1. 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; see del- in Indo-European roots.]long 2 (lông, l?ng)intr.v. longed, long·ing, longs To have an earnest, heartfelt desire, especially for something beyond reach.[Middle English longen, from Old English langian; see del- in Indo-European roots.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.long (l??) adj1. having relatively great extent in space on a horizontal plane2. having relatively great duration in time3. a. (postpositive) of a specified number of units in extent or duration: three hours long. b. (in combination): a two-foot-long line. 4. having or consisting of a relatively large number of items or parts: a long list. 5. having greater than the average or expected range: a long memory. 6. being the longer or longest of alternatives: the long way to the bank. 7. having more than the average or usual quantity, extent, or duration: a long match. 8. seeming to occupy a greater time than is really so: she spent a long afternoon waiting in the departure lounge. 9. intense or thorough (esp in the phrase a long look)10. (Brewing) (of drinks) containing a large quantity of nonalcoholic beverage11. (of a garment) reaching to the wearer’s ankles12. informal (foll by on) plentifully supplied or endowed (with): long on good ideas. 13. (Phonetics & Phonology) phonetics (of a speech sound, esp a vowel)a. of relatively considerable durationb. classified as long, as distinguished from the quality of other vowelsc. (in popular usage) denoting the qualities of the five English vowels in such words as mate, mete, mite, moat, moot, and mute14. from end to end; lengthwise15. unlikely to win, happen, succeed, etc: a long chance. 16. (Poetry) prosody a. denoting a vowel of relatively great duration or (esp in classical verse) followed by more than one consonantb. denoting a syllable containing such a vowelc. (in verse that is not quantitative) carrying the emphasis or ictus17. (Banking & Finance) finance having or characterized by large holdings of securities or commodities in anticipation of rising prices: a long position. 18. (Cricket) cricket (of a fielding position) near the boundary: long leg. 19. informal (of people) tall and slender20. in the long run See run8221. long in the tooth informal old or ageingadv22. for a certain time or period: how long will it last?. 23. for or during an extensive period of time: long into the next year. 24. at a distant time; quite a bit of time: long before I met you; long ago. 25. (Banking & Finance) finance into a position with more security or commodity holdings than are required by sale contracts and therefore dependent on rising prices for profit: to go long. 26. as long as so long as a. for or during just the length of time thatb. inasmuch as; sincec. provided that; if27. no longer not any more; formerly but not nown28. a long time (esp in the phrase for long)29. a relatively long thing, such as a signal in Morse code30. (Clothing & Fashion) a clothing size for tall people, esp in trousers31. (Phonetics & Phonology) phonetics a long vowel or syllable32. (Banking & Finance) finance a person with large holdings of a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in its price; bull33. (Music, other) music a note common in medieval music but now obsolete, having the time value of two breves34. before long soon35. the long and the short of it the essential points or facts[Old English lang; related to Old High German lang, Old Norse langr, Latin longus]long (l??) vb (intr; foll by for or an infinitive) to have a strong desire[Old English langian; related to long1]long (l??) vb (intr) archaic to belong, appertain, or be appropriate[Old English langian to belong, from gelang at hand, belonging to; compare along]long abbreviation for (Navigation) longitude Long (l??) n (Biography) Crawford Williamson. 1815?78, US surgeon. He was the first to use ether as an anaestheticCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014long1 (l??, l??) adj. long?er (?l?? g?r, ?l??-) long?est (?l?? g?st, ?l??-) n., adv. adj. 1. having considerable or greater than usual linear extent in space. 2. having considerable or greater than usual duration in time. 3. extending, lasting, or totaling a number of specified units: eight miles long; eight hours long. 4. containing many items or units: a long list. 5. requiring a considerable time to relate, read, etc.: a long story. 6. extending beyond normal, moderate, or desired limits: to work long hours; The sleeves are long on me. 7. experienced as passing slowly, as because of tedium. 8. reaching well into the past: a long memory. 9. the longer of two or the longest of several: the long way home. 10. taking a long time; slow: to be long in getting here. 11. forward-looking or considering all aspects; broad: to take a long view. 12. intense, thorough, or critical; seriously appraising: a long look at one’s mistakes. 13. having an ample supply or endowment (often fol. by on): long on brains. 14. extending relatively far: a long reach. 15. being higher or taller than usual. 16. being against great odds; unlikely: a long chance. 17. (esp. of an alcoholic drink) mixed or diluted with a large amount of soda or the like. 18. a. (of a speech sound) lasting a relatively long time. b. having the sound of the English vowels in mate, meet, mite, mote, moot, and mute, historically descended from vowels that were long in duration. Compare short (def. 13). 19. a. (of a syllable in quantitative verse) lasting a longer time than a short syllable. b. stressed. 20. having a considerable time to run, as a promissory note. 21. holding or accumulating securities or commodities in the expectation that prices will rise: a long position in hog futures. 22. marked by a large difference in the numbers of a given betting ratio or in the amounts wagered: long odds. n. 23. a comparatively long time: They haven’t been gone for long. 24. a long sound or syllable. 25. a. a size of garments for men who are taller than average. b. a garment in this size. adv. 26. for or through a great extent of space or, esp., time: a reform long advocated. 27. for or throughout a specified extent, esp. of time: How long did he stay? 28. (used elliptically in referring to the length of an absence, delay, etc.): Will she be long? 29. throughout a specified period of time: all summer long. 30. at a point of time far distant from the time indicated: long before. Idioms: 1. as long as, a. provided that. b. seeing that; since: As long as you’re going, I’ll go too. c. Also, so long as. during the time that; while. 2. before long, soon. [before 900; Middle English longe, Old English lang, long, c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon lang, long, Old High German lang, Old Norse langr, Gothic laggs, Latin longus] long2 (l??, l??) v.i. to have an earnest or strong desire or craving; yearn: to long for spring. [before 900; Middle English; Old English langian to grow longer, yearn after, summon; see long1] syn: See yearn. Long (l??, l??) n. 1. Crawford Williamson, 1815?78, U.S. surgeon: first to use ether as an anesthetic. 2. Huey Pierce, 1893?1935, U.S. politician. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.long1. used to talk about lengthYou use long when you are talking about the length of something.You use a long way to talk about the distance from one place to another. You say, for example, ‘It’s a long way from here to Birmingham’.Be Careful!Don’t say ‘It’s long from here to Birmingham’ or ‘I’m long from London’.In negative sentences, you use far. You say, for example, ‘It’s not far from here to Birmingham’.You also use far in questions. You say, for example, ‘How far is it from here to Birmingham?’Be Careful!Don’t use ‘long’ in negative sentences and questions like these.When you are talking about the extent of a journey, you use as far as, not ‘as long as’. You say, for example, ‘We walked as far as the church’.In a negative sentence or a question, you can use long as an adverb to mean ‘a long time’.You can also use long to mean ‘a long time’ after too or in front of enough.However, don’t use ‘long’ with this meaning in any other kind of positive sentence. Instead use a long time.The comparative and superlative forms longer and longest can be used with this meaning in any kind of positive sentence.When something that happened in the past does not happen now, you can say that it no longer happens or that it does not happen any longer.