length

noun

• 1 [mass noun] the measurement or extent of something from end to end; the greater of two or the greatest of three dimensions of an object:the delta is twenty kilometres in length [count noun]:the fish reaches a length of 10 inches
• the quality of being long:the length of the waiting list
• [count noun] the length of a swimming pool as a measure of the distance swum:fifty lengths of the pool
• [count noun] the length of a horse, boat, etc., as a measure of the lead in a race:the mare won the race by seven lengths
• the extent of a garment in a vertical direction when worn: the length of her skirt
• the full distance that a thing extends for:the muscles running the length of my spine
• (one's length) the full extent of one’s body:he awkwardly lowered his length into the small car
• Prosody & Phonetics the metrical quantity or duration of a vowel or syllable: the length of the syllable is isomorphic with the length of the syllabic vowel

• 2the amount of time occupied by something:delivery must be within a reasonable length of time

• 3a piece or stretch of something:a length of brown satin the surviving length of track

• 4an extreme to which a course of action is taken:they go to great lengths to avoid the press

• 5 Cricket the distance from the batsman at which a well-bowled ball pitches:Lewis tended to bowl short of a length

• 6(in bridge or whist) the number of cards of a suit held in one’s hand, especially when five or more: to open one heart with equal length in hearts and spades is in the modern Acol style