Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - long

~1 adj 1 »OBJECT/LINE« measuring a great length or a greater length than usual from one end to the other  (Cher used to have really long hair. | The line to get into the movie was so long we gave up. | The Aleutian Islands form the longest archipelago in the world.)  (- opposite short1 (1)) 2 »TIME« continuing for a large amount of time  (I thought the play was a little too long. | recovering from a long illness | People who exercise regularly generally live longer, healthier lives. | a long time)  (They've been married a long time. | get longer)  (The days are beginning to get longer. | for the longest time AmE spoken (=for a very long time))  (I thought for the longest time that his name was Don, but it's really Ron.)  (- opposite short1 (4)) 3 »DISTANCE« continuing or travelling a great distance from one place to another  (a long distance runner | long walk/flight/drive)  (It's a long walk to the shops from here. | a long way)  (We're still a long way from Aberdeen.)  (- opposite short1 (1)) 4 »HOW LONG« (usually after n having a particular length or continuing for a particular amount of time  (How long is the concert going to be? | an hour/two metres/three pages etc long)  (The room is about metres long and metres wide. | The article should be about words long.) 5 »BOOKS/NAMES/LISTS ETC« books, lists etc that are long contain a lot of pages, details etc  (War and Peace is one of the longest novels I've ever read. | He has a long, unpronounceable last name.)  (- opposite short1 (16)) 6 »CLOTHING« long dresses, trousers, sleeves etc cover your body to the ankles or wrists  (a long ballgown) 7 all day/year/summer etc long during all of the day etc 8 »SEEMING TOO LONG« spoken seeming to continue for a longer time or distance than is usual, especially because you are bored, tired etc  (It's been a long week and all I want to do is go home.) 9 »WORK« if you work long hours or a long day, you work for more time than is usual  (Doctors often work long hours.) 10 go a long way/have come a long way to be likely to be successful and achieve things, or to have been successful and achieved things  (Genetic research has come a long way in the last few years.) 11 go a long way towards doing sth to help greatly in achieving something  (Your contributions will go a long way towards helping children in need.) 12 a little of sth goes a long way spoken used to say you do not need much of something  (A little ketchup goes a long way.) 13 at long last after a long period of time; finally  (The house sold, at long last, in September.) 14 long time no see spoken used to say hello when you have not seen someone for a long time 15 the long and the short of it spoken used when you are trying to tell someone something complicated in only a few words  (Well, the long and the short of it is that we missed the train.) 16 not by a long chalk/shot informal not at all or not nearly  (Oh, I've not finished yet - no, not by a long chalk.) 17 how long is a piece of string? BrE spoken used when you think there is no certain answer to a question  ("How long will it take to finish?" "How long is a piece of string?") 18 a long memory an ability to remember things that happened a long time ago  (Those of you with long memories may recall Cooper's fight with Muhammad Ali.) 19 »VOWEL« a long vowel in a word is pronounced for a longer time than a short vowel with the same sound 20 long odds if there are long odds against something happening, it is very unlikely that it will happen 21 long drink a) a large cold drink, containing little or no alcohol, served in a tall glass b) if you take a long drink, you drink a large amount of liquid at one time 22 long in the tooth informal too old  (Some of our vehicles are getting a bit long in the tooth.)  (- see also as long as your arm arm1 (11), a long face face1 (2), long/slow haul haul2 (2), in the long run run2 (4), a long shot shot1 (12), it's a long story story (8), cut a long story short story (11), in the long/short/medium term term1 (10), take the long view (of sth) view1 (10)) ~2 adv 1 for a long time  (Have you been waiting long? | It took me longer than I thought it would to paint the kitchen. | How long have you lived in New Jersey?) 2 at a time that is a long time before or after a particular time  (long before/after)  (This all happened long before you were born. | long ago/since)  (If they'd stayed out of the war it would have been over long ago. | sth won't be long especially spoken (=used when something is going to happen soon))  (Dinner won't be long - only five minutes. | sb won't be long spoken (=used to say that someone will be ready, back etc soon))  (Wait here, I won't be long. | it wasn't long before (=used when something happens very soon after a particular event))  (It wasn't long before we realized Dan had left.) 3 no longer/not any longer used when something used to happen in the past but does not happen now  (The extra workers won't be needed any longer.) 4 for long (usually in questions and negatives) for a long time  (I haven't known them for very long.) 5 before long soon  (It looks like it's going to rain before long.) 6 as/so long as used to say that one thing can happen or be true only if another thing happens or is true  (You can go out to play as long as you stay in the back yard.) 7 so long spoken especially AmE goodbye ~3 v to want something very much, especially when it seems unlikely to happen soon  (long to do/have sth)  (I long to see her again. | long for sth)  (Patsy longed for some excitement, something new. | long for sb to do sth)  (I was longing for him to go. | longed-for)  (the birth of a longed-for daughter)  (- see also longing1, longing2) ~4 the written abbreviation of longitude