length
/leŋkθ/ (bre, ipa) · /leŋkθ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈleŋ(k)th ˈlen(t)th/ (ame, mw) · /-leŋθ/ (bre, ipa) · /-leŋθ/ (ame, ipa)
length — noun
- lengthsingular
- lengthsplural
1. the distance from one end of something to the other, or how long something is wh
the distance from one end of something to the other, or how long something is when you measure it — for example, the length of a table, a river, or a piece of fabric.
Christopher measured the length of the dining table before buying a new cloth for it.
collocation: measure the length of something
The total length of the hiking trail is about twelve kilometres.
collocation: the total / full length of something
Aoi cut the fabric to the correct length and then sewed the edges.
The new sofa is exactly two metres long and fits perfectly against the wall.
文法句型
the length of [noun]
measure/check the length
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of 'length'. It can be used both as countable ('three different lengths of board') and uncountable ('a river two miles in length').
常見錯誤
2. a single cut section of a long narrow material — for instance, a piece of rope,
a single cut section of a long narrow material — for instance, a piece of rope, cable, or fabric taken from a larger roll or coil.
Paloma cut a length of ribbon and tied it around the gift box.
pattern: a length of [material] + purpose clause
The plumber cut a short length of copper pipe to fix the kitchen sink leak.
collocation: a short / long length of [material]
Ayesha bought two lengths of woollen fabric to sew winter coats for the children.
Sofia handed the gardener a length of garden hose to water the vegetable beds.
文法句型
a length of [material]
用法筆記
Always follows 'a(n) [adjective] length of + material noun'. The material must be something long and narrow. 'A length of milk' would be incorrect.
常見錯誤
3. a unit of measurement used in horse racing or boat racing to describe the distan
a unit of measurement used in horse racing or boat racing to describe the distance between competitors, equal to the body size of one horse or the full size of one boat.
The favourite horse won the race by three lengths, far ahead of the others.
collocation: win by [number] length(s)
The Oxford rowing team finished half a length ahead of Cambridge in the final race.
collocation: half a length / a length ahead
Nellie's horse led by four lengths at halfway but tired near the finish.
The greyhound won by two lengths, crossing the line ahead of the pack.
- body length
used similarly in animal racing, especially greyhound racing
文法句型
[number] length(s)
win by [number] length(s)
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the context of horse racing and rowing (boat racing). Stands as a loose, conventional unit — a 'length' is not an exact metric measurement but depends on the size of the horse or boat.
常見錯誤
4. the full distance across a swimming pool from one wall to the opposite wall, use
the full distance across a swimming pool from one wall to the opposite wall, used as a unit for measuring how far a swimmer has travelled through the water.
Shirin swims twenty lengths of the pool every morning before going to work.
collocation: swim [number] length(s) of the pool
The coach asked the team to do ten lengths as a warm-up before training.
collocation: do [number] length(s)
On her first day at the pool, Olivia swam two lengths without stopping.
Élise completed thirty lengths of the pool as part of her daily training.
- lap
used more commonly in American English; can mean from one end to the other and back again in some contexts
文法句型
swim [number] length(s)
do [number] length(s)
用法筆記
A 'length' of a pool is usually the long way (from one end to the other), while a 'width' (or 'lap' in some regions) is the short way across the pool. In the US, 'lap' is more common for this idea.
5. a term used in cricket that describes where the ball lands on the pitch after be
a term used in cricket that describes where the ball lands on the pitch after being bowled — referring to how far it has travelled before bouncing for the first time relative to the batter.
The bowler's good length made the batter unsure whether to play forward or back.
cricket terminology: good length
Tunde listened as the coach explained how a short length forces the batter back.
cricket terminology: short / full length
The captain told the bowler to aim for a fuller length on this pitch.
A good length delivery makes the batter decide whether to play forward or back.
文法句型
good / short / full length
用法筆記
This sense is used only in cricket. A 'good length' ball bounces at a distance that makes it hard for the batter to decide whether to play forward or back. 'Short length' means the ball bounces closer to the bowler; 'full length' means it bounces closer to the batter.
常見錯誤
6. how long an event, activity, or situation continues from beginning to end — for
how long an event, activity, or situation continues from beginning to end — for example, the length of a film, a meeting, a school holiday, or a person's life.
The movie is just over two hours long and they should be home by ten.
collocation: the length of a film / movie / show
The length of the meeting surprised Noa — it lasted nearly four hours.
collocation: the length of [event]
The length of the school summer holiday in Taiwan is about two months.
The length of a typical university lecture is about fifty minutes.
文法句型
the length of [event/time period]
用法筆記
Unlike the time words 'duration' (formal) and 'period' (neutral), 'length' is a general, everyday word. It is frequently followed by 'of' + a noun referring to an event or time span. Avoid using it with 'time' — 'the length of time' is grammatically correct but often sounds wordy; 'how long' is simpler in conversation.
常見錯誤
7. the number of words, pages, or minutes that a written or spoken piece of work co
the number of words, pages, or minutes that a written or spoken piece of work contains
The length of the article surprised Nadia — it filled more than twenty pages.
length of + article/document/speech
After getting only fifteen minutes, Amihan cut the length of her talk in half.
cut/reduce the length of
Teachers often set a minimum length for essays so that students write enough detail.
Hyun checked the novel's length before deciding if he had time to read it.
The editor asked Layla to shorten the length of each chapter by about five pages.
文法句型
length + of + noun phrase
adjective + length
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (physical distance): this sense applies only to written or spoken material, never to physical objects. Common adjectives used with this sense include 'short', 'great', 'full', and 'minimum'.
8. covering a topic in great detail or for a very long time when speaking or writin
covering a topic in great detail or for a very long time when speaking or writing about it
Professor Okonkwo spoke at length about the history of printing during the lecture.
speak at length about
Élise wrote at length in her journal about the places she visited in Vietnam.
write at length about
The committee discussed the new policy at length before reaching a decision.
Mert described at length the steps he had taken to restore the old wooden canoe.
Nila could have talked at length about her research on coral reefs.
- in detail
more common in everyday English; less formal
- extensively
similar register; emphasises breadth of coverage
- thoroughly
emphasises completeness more than time spent
- briefly
opposite in both time and level of detail
文法句型
speak / talk / write / discuss + at length + about + noun
describe + noun + at length
用法筆記
Always part of the fixed phrase 'at length'. Typical verbs are those of communication (speak, talk, write, discuss, describe). Do not use with physical actions — you cannot 'walk at length' in this sense.
常見錯誤
9. used when something finally takes place after a lengthy wait or a delay has ende
used when something finally takes place after a lengthy wait or a delay has ended
At length, after months of searching, Joaquín found a job that suited his skills.
at length, after + time phrase
The hikers reached the mountain village at length, tired but eager to explore.
At length, the judge announced the verdict and the family members sighed with relief.
Kemi completed the difficult painting at length and signed her name at the bottom.
At length, after years of saving, the Matsuda family bought their first home together.
- finally
more common in everyday English; less formal
- eventually
very similar; slightly less formal
- in the end
informal alternative; more common in conversation
- immediately
opposite in timing — without any delay
文法句型
at length, + clause
clause + at length
用法筆記
This sense of 'at length' means 'finally' or 'after a long wait', not 'in detail'. It often appears at the beginning of a sentence. To tell it apart from sense 8: if the sentence is about the final outcome of a wait or delay, this is sense 9; if it is about how something was said or written, it is sense 8.
常見錯誤
length — suffix
1. forms a compound adjective meaning that something extends down to or as far as a
forms a compound adjective meaning that something extends down to or as far as a specific body part or position — for example, knee-length describes a skirt that ends at the knees, and shoulder-length describes hair that reaches the shoulders.
Wei wore a pair of knee-length boots during the hiking trip in the mountains.
knee-length: reaching down to the knee
The tailor suggested ankle-length trousers for the summer wedding party.
Hoa asked for a shoulder-length cut so her hair would be easier to manage.
Liam bought floor-length curtains to block the cold draught from the window.
- reaching
used with a different grammatical pattern ('reaching to the knees') but conveys similar meaning
文法句型
[body part or position] + -length
用法筆記
Always hyphenated when used before a noun (knee-length skirt, ankle-length trousers). The body part or position noun is never pluralised — 'knee-length' not 'knees-length'. Common body-position bases: knee, shoulder, ankle, waist, floor, elbow.
常見錯誤
2. used after a word describing a standard category or time to form an adjective me
used after a word describing a standard category or time to form an adjective meaning that something has the normal or complete duration — for example, a film that runs a full standard duration is a full-length film, and a documentary long enough to be a feature is a feature-length documentary.
The streaming service released a full-length documentary about coral reef restoration.
full-length: of standard or complete duration
Diya prefers reading full-length novels rather than short stories or novellas.
The band spent a year in the studio recording a full-length album.
The theatre company staged a full-length play by a local playwright.
- complete
emphasises that nothing has been cut or shortened, while '-length' emphasises the standard duration
- standard-length
more explicit but less common; used interchangeably with 'full-length'
- short
a short film or short story is deliberately shorter than the standard length
文法句型
[time or category] + -length
用法筆記
By far the most common form is 'full-length', which can describe films, books, plays, and albums. 'Feature-length' is also common in film contexts and means 'long enough to be a feature film (typically over 60 minutes).' When the specific time is given, a different structure is preferred ('a two-hour film' rather than 'a two-hour-length film').