Word: long Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From Middle English long, lang, from Old English long, lang (“long, tall, lasting”), from Proto-West Germanic *lang, from Proto-Germanic *langaz (“long”), from Proto-Indo-European *dlongʰos (“long”). Cognates Cognate with Scots lang (“long”), Yola lhaung, long (“long”), North Frisian long, lung, lüng (“long”), Saterland Frisian loang (“long”), West Frisian lang (“long”), Cimbrian lång (“long”), Dutch, German, and Low German lang (“long”), Luxembourgish laang (“long”), Mòcheno lònk (“long”), Vilamovian łaong (“long”), Yiddish לאַנג (lang, “long”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk lang (“long”), Faroese and Icelandic langur (“long”), Swedish lång (“long”), Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌲𐍃 (laggs, “long”); also Latin longus (“long”) (whence French long (“long”), Italian lungo (“long”), Portuguese longo (“long”), Spanish luengo (“long”)), Ancient Greek δολιχός (dolikhós, “long; wearisome”), Albanian gjatë (“long; tall”), Latvian ilgs (“long”), Lithuanian ilgas (“long”), Belarusian до́ўгі (dówhi, “long”), Bulgarian дъ́лъг (dǎ́lǎg, “long”), Czech dlúhý (“long”), Macedonian долг (dolg, “long”), Polish długi (“long”), Russian дли́нный (dlínnyj, “lengthy, long”), до́лгий (dólgij, “long”), Serbo-Croatian ду̏г, dȕg (“long”), Slovak dlhý (“long”), Slovene dolg (“long”), Ukrainian до́вгий (dóvhyj, “long”), Ossetian даргъ (darǧ, “late”), Central Kurdish دێر (dêr), درەنگ (dreng, “late”), Northern Kurdish dereng (“late”), Persian دیر (dēr / dir, “late; long”), درنگ (derang, “delay”), Sanskrit दीर्घ (dīrgha, “long”) (whence Bengali দীর্ঘ (dirgho, “long; tall”), Dhivehi ދިގު (digu, “long, lengthy”), Kalasha driga, dríga (“long; tall”), Kholosi taɽgo (“long”), Khowar درونگ (drung, “long”), Hindi दीर्घ (dīrgh, “long; tall; weighty”), Nepali दिघो (digho, “stable”), Odia ଦୀର୍ଘ (dirgha, “long”), Sinhalese දිග (diga, “long”), Urdu دیرگھ (dīrgh, “long; tall; weighty”)), Kamkata-viri drëgeř, drëgëř, drëŋëň, dërëgeň (“long; tall”), Prasuni jigni (“long; tall”). The word shows the regular historical change of a to o before certain consonant clusters such as ng (compare with other examples in Middle and Modern English such as bond, song, throng, and wrong). The o-form may have also been reinforced by Old French long, from Latin longus, from the same Indo-European word. Doublet of lungo and lunge. Pronunciation: /lɒŋ/, /lɔːŋ/, /lʊŋɡ/, /læŋ/, /lɔŋ/ 1. Having much distance in space from one end to the other. Example: I need a long piece of wood. Example: It’s a long way from the Earth to the Moon. 2. Having much distance in space from one end to the other. Example: This table is long but not very high. 3. Having much distance in space from one end to the other. Example: Smith hoofs a long ball up to Jones. 4. Having much distance in space from one end to the other. Labels: informal Example: My ex was very strong but not very long. 5. Travelling or extending too great a distance in space. Labels: usually Example: The plane touched down long and overran the end of the runway. Example: Juneau was making good time with the other surviving U.S. Navy ships, despite her damage, when the I-26 spotted her and sent a salvo of Type 95 torpedoes in her direction. Passing between the Helena and San Francisco, some indication being they had actually been shot at the San Francisco and gone long because San Francisco was travelling significantly slower than expected, they nonetheless hit Juneau and detonated the ship’s magazine. 6. Travelling or extending too great a distance in space. Example: That forehand was long. It landed two feet beyond the baseline. Example: The pass was long and was gathered by the opposing goalkeeper. 7. Having great duration. Example: His speech was long and dull. Example: The pyramids of Egypt have been around for a long time. 8. Seeming to last a lot of time, due to being boring, tedious, tiring, irksome, etc. Example: It took us three long weeks to clear the stones from the field. Example: It'll be a long journey home for the travelling supporters after that 5-0 defeat. 9. Not short; tall. Labels: Ireland, UK, dated Example: The colonel and his sponsor made a queer contrast: Greystone [the sponsor] long and stringy, with a face that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it. Example: Bless ’em all, bless ’em all, the long, the short and the tall. 10. Possessing or owning stocks, bonds, commodities, or other financial instruments with the aim of benefiting from an expected rise in their value. Example: I’m long in DuPont. Example: I have a long position in DuPont. 11. Of a fielding position, close to the boundary (or closer to the boundary than the equivalent short position). 12. Of betting odds, offering a very large return for a small wager. 13. Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in time; far away. Example: But Campbell thus did ſhut vp all in ieſt, / Braue Knights and Ladies, certes ye doe wrong / To ſtirre vp ſtrife, when moſt vs needeth reſt, / That we may vs reſerue both freſh and ſtrong, / Againſt the Turneiment which is not long. 14. In great supply; abundant. Labels: Multicultural-London-English, slang Example: I’m talkin’ ’bout… I’m talkin’ ’bout that long money. Example: Me and broke niggas, we don’t get along (Nah). Hair long (Long), money long (Yeah). 15. Clipping of taking a long time. Labels: Multicultural-London-English, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang Example: "Cadet, Cadet!" Not every day, fam. Can't you see why it's long? I just wanna get my creps and be gone. Example: BOY: B, this is long for man, you know. B: Keep complaining. BOY: Fucking gemming it with these things (he continues collecting empty drinks cans). 16. stupid; annoying; bullshit Labels: Multicultural-London-English, broadly, slang Example: [Verse 1: Sleeks]: Keep thinking about Ps that I need but it’s long. All these things that I've done in the streets got me on my knees trying to reason with God. B-B beefin’ is long but I might still greeze up a Don. Example: MOBEEN: I do love nature when it’s on television and David Attenborough’s presenting. I hate nature in real life! Smells like shite around here! Plants and (he waves a fly away) …plants and that. It’s so long! 17. serious; deadly. Labels: Multicultural-London-English, broadly, slang Example: JAMIE: Yo, if I see you man round here again, it is long for you! 18. Measuring 8½ in × 13 in. Labels: Canada, US 19. Measuring 8½ in × 14 in. Labels: Philippines