Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

long

1. long \'lo.n\ \'lo.n-g*r\ \'lo.n-g*st\ aj or lon.ger;  or lon.gest [ME 
   long, lang, fr. OE; akin to OHG lang long, L longus], Gk dolichos 1a: 
   extending for a considerable distance  1b: having a greater length than 
   usual  1c: having greater height than usual : TALL  1d: having a greater 
   length than breadth : ELONGATED  1e: having a greater length than desirable 
   or necessary  2a: having a specified length  2b: forming the chief linear 
   dimension  3a: extending over a considerable time  3b: having a specified 
   duration  3c: prolonged beyond the usual time : TEDIOUS  4a: containing 
   many items in a series  4b: having a specified number of units  4c: 
   consisting of a greater number or amount than usual : LARGE  of a speech 
   sound  5a: having a relatively long duration  5b: being the member of a 
   pair of similarly spelled vowel or vowel-contain ing sounds that is 
   descended from a vowel long in duration {~ a in fate} {~ i in sign} of a 
   syllable in prosody  5c1: of relatively extended duration  5c2: STRESSED  
   6: having the capacity to reach or extend a considerable distance  7: 
   larger or longer than the standard  8a: extending far into the future  8b: 
   extending beyond what is known  8c: payable after a considerable period  9: 
   strong in or well furnished with  10a: of an unusual degree of difference 
   between the amounts wagered on eac h side 10b: of or relating to the larger 
   amount wagered  11: subject to great odds  12: holding securities or goods 
   in anticipation of an advance in prices  : after a long wait : FINALLY  : 
   past one's best days : OLD  - at long last 
2. long or so long as av 1: for or during a long time  2: at or to a long 
   distance : FAR {long-traveled}  3: for the duration of a specified period  
   4: at a point of time far before or after a specified moment or event  5: 
   after or beyond a specified time  1: seeing that : SINCE  2: PROVIDING, IF  
   : GOOD-BYE  - as long as 
3. long or the long and the short n 1: a long period of time  2: a long 
   syllable  3: one who purchases or operates on the long side of the market  
   pl  4a: long trousers  4b: a size in clothing for tall men  : the sum and 
   substance : GIST  - the long and short 
4. long \'lo.n-in\ vi or long.ing [ME longen, fr. OE langian; akin to OHG 
   lange-n to long, O]E lang long : to feel a strong desire or craving : YEARN 
   THIRST mean to have a strong desire for something. LONG implies a wishing 
   with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain; YEARN suggests an 
   eager, restless, or painful longing; HANKER suggests the uneasy promptings 
   of unsatisfied appetite or desire; PINE implies a languishing or a 
   fruitless longing for what is impossible; HUNGER and THIRST imply an 
   insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need SYN syn LONG, YEARN, 
   HANKER, PINE, HUNGER,  
5. long vi [ME longen, fr. along (on) because (of)] archaic  : to be 
   suitable or fitting