long ago

long ¹  (lông, lng)

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 Of, relating to, or being a vowel sound in English, such as the vowel sound () in mate or () feet, that is descended from a vowel of long duration.

12.

a. Stressed or accented. Used of a syllable in accentual prosody.

b. 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 ago

1. 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.

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[Middle English, from Old English lang; see del-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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long ²  (lông, lng)

intr.v. longed, long·ing, longs

To have an earnest, heartfelt desire, especially for something beyond reach.

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[Middle English longen, from Old English langian; see del-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

Thesaurus

Adv.

1.

long ago - of the distant or comparatively distant past; "We met once long ago"; "they long ago forsook their nomadic life"; "left for work long ago"; "he has long since given up mountain climbing"; "This name has long since been forgotten"; "lang syne" is Scottish lang syne, long since