Long a.1. World English Historical Dictionary

Long a.1. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1903, rev. 2024. Long a.1 Forms: 1 lang, 4–5, Sc. 5–9 lang, (4 Sc. launge), 3 longue, 3–7 longe, 6 lounge), 1, 3– long. See also LENGER, LENGEST. [Com. Teut.: OE. lang, lǫng = OFris., OS. lang, long (MDu., MLG., Du., LG. lang), OHG. lang (MHG. lanc, lang-, mod.G. lang), ON. lang-r (Da. lang, Sw. lång), Goth. lagg-s:—OTeut. *laŋgo-:—pre-Teut. *loŋgho (= L. longus, Gaulish longo- in proper names, ? OIrish long- in combination).

1   This is regarded by some scholars as an alteration of *dlongho- (in OPers. dranga), cogn. w. *dlgho, *dlegho- in OSl. dlŭgŭ (Russian долго-, долгій), Gr. δολιχός, OPers. darga-, Zend. darĕγa, Skr. dīrghá; to the same root app. belong Gr. ἐν-δελεχής perpetual, Goth. tulgus firm, persistent, OS. tulgo very; some also connect L. indulgēre to indulge (? orig. to be long-suffering towards).]

2   A.  adj.

3   I.  With reference to spatial measurement.

4   1.  Great in measurement from end to end. Said of a line, of distance, a journey; also, of a portion of space or a material object with reference to its greatest dimension. Opposed to short.

5   Formerly often in phr. † long and large (see LARGE a. 4), which is sometimes applied transf. to immaterial things.

6 c. 893.  K. Ælfred, Oros., I. i. § 13. He sæde þeah þæt land sie swiþe lang norþ þonan.

7 c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 219. Foure þinges þe man find ilome on ȝerde þat he be riht and smal and long and smeþe.

8 c. 1205.  Lay., 30096. Heo breken scaftes longe. Mid longe sweorden heo smitten.

9 1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8481. A gyn, þat me sowe clupeþ hii made … boþe wid and long.

10 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 8079. Lang [Trin. longe] and side þair brues wern.

11 c. 1320.  Seuyn Sag. (W.), 577. Ac that ympe that so sprong, Hit was sschort and nothing long.

12 c. 1386.  Chaucer, Merch. Prol., 11. Ther is a long and large difference Bitwix Grisildis grete pacience And of my wyf the passing crueltee.

13 c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), xxv. 259. The Kyngdom of Mede … is fulle long: but it is not full large. Ibid., xxvi. 269. [The Griffoun] hathe his Talouns so longe and so large and grete … as though [etc.].

14 c. 1450.  Holland, Howlat, 787. Mak … A lang sper of a betill for a berne bald.

15 1483.  Caxton, G. de la Tour, E ij. A long gowne, two kyrtells & two cottes hardyes.

16 1508.  Dunbar, Flyting w. Kennedie, 148. Thair is bot lyse, and lang nailis ȝow amang.

17 1530.  Palsgr., 240/2. Longegonne, flevste.

18 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. IV., 31 b, note. Midas, the Poetes faine to have longe eares.

19 1573.  L. Lloyd, Marrow of Hist. (1653), 207. In this play they did fight one with another at the long Spear, the long Sword.

20 1592.  Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1848), II. 76. In armour, jack, steil bonat, spair, halbert, or lang gun.

21 a. 1614.  D. Dyke, Myst. Self-Deceiving (ed. 8), 27. To weare long haire is commonly a badge of a royster, or ruffian.

22 1682.  T. Flatman, Heraclitus Ridens, No. 55 (1713), II. 93. A white Staff … would much better please the scribbling Clown; and we’ll help him to a long long one.

23 1748.  Richardson, Clarissa II. i. 5. I have not been able yet to laugh him out of his long bib and beads.

24 1838.  Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., I. 263/1. The Gorgon will be fitted with sixteen 32-pounders (long-guns).

25 1893.  G. E. Mathieson, About Holland, 37. The long low line of the Dutch coast.

26 1899.  Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VI. 665. Many cases … yield to the long splint.

27 1900.  Q. Rev., Oct., 350. These famous galleys were long low rowing boats of the ancient pattern.

28   b.  With reference to vertical measurement: Tall. Sometimes prefixed as an epithet to proper names, e.g., Long Meg, Tom, Will. Now rare exc. in jocular use.

29 c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., II. xvi. (Schipper), 179. Cwæþ þæt he wære se mon lang on bodiʓe.

30 a. 1000.  Byrhtnoth, 273 (Gr.). Ða ʓyt on orde stod Eadweard se langa.

31 c. 1205.  Lay., 6366. Cniht he wes swiðe strong … muchel and long.

32 1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8526. Þikke mon he was inou bote he was noȝt wel long.

33 1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. Prol. 52. Grete lobres and longe þat loþ weore to swynke. Ibid. (1377), B. XV. 148. I haue lyued in londe … my name is longe wille.

34 ? 14[?].  John de Reeve, 254–5, in Furnivall, Percy Folio (1868), II. 568. What long ffellow is yonder, quoth hee, that is soe long of lim and lyre?

35 c. 1420.  Pallad. on Husb., I. 86. The treen thereon light, fertil, faire, and longe.

36 1430–40.  Lydg., Bochas, I. ii. (1544), 4 b. This Nembroth [Nimrod] waxe mighty, large and long.

37 1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, VI. xv. 676. Tamarisk is a little tree or plant as long as a man.

38 1588.  Acc. Bk. W. Wray, in Antiquary, XXXII. 54. Bought of lounge Tome the 23 of aprill [etc.].

39 1609.  Bible (Douay), Deut. ii. 21. A great and huge people, and of long stature.

40 1618.  W. Lawson, New Orch. & Gard. (1623), 39. Pride of sap makes proud, long & streight growth.

41 1795.  Burns, Song, ‘Their groves o’ sweet myrtles.’ Wi’ the burn stealing under the lang yellow broom.

42 1814.  Scott, Wav., xxxv. Lang John Mucklewrath the smith.

43 1871.  R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, lxvii. 47. Sir, ’twas a long lean suitor.

44   c.  Long arm, hand: used transf. and fig. with reference to extent of reach. Also, † to make a long arm: to reach out to a great distance. A long face (see FACE sb. 6 b) colloq.: an expression of countenance indicating sadness or exaggerated solemnity. A long head: a head of more than ordinary length from back to front; fig. capacity for calculation and forethought. (Cf. LONG-HEAD, LONG-HEADED.) To make a long neck: to stretch out the neck. To make a long nose (slang): to put the thumb to the nose, as a gesture of mockery. A long tongue: fig. loquacity.

45 c. 1489.  Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, vii. 177. Thenne he … bare his hede vp, and made a long necke.

46 1539.  Taverner, Erasm. Prov., 4. Longae regum manus. Kynges haue longe handes.

47 1599.  Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 42. Ouer that arme of the sea could be made a long arme.

48 1621.  Fletcher, Wildgoose Chase, V. iv. What ye have seen, be secret in;… No more of your long tongue.

49 1656.  Earl Monm., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., I. xxiii. (1674), 24. Potent men, who have long hands, and short consciences … would [etc.].

50 1786.  Burns, Ded. to G. Hamilton, 62. Learn three-mile pray’rs, and half-mile graces, Wi’ weel-spread looves, an’ lang, wry faces.

51 1809.  Malkin, Gil Blas, IX. viii. ¶ 2. He had a long head, as well as a fanciful brain.

52 1834.  Ht. Martineau, Farrers, i. 8. You will see long faces enough when these taxes come to be paid.

53 1868.  Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., 263. Prawle made a ‘long nose’ in the direction of Goree Piazzas.

54 1879.  Spurgeon, Serm., XXV. 548. You can put on a very long face and try to scold people into religion.

55 1889.  ‘J. S. Winter,’ Mrs. Bob (1891), 134. He has always had luck, and he has a long head too.

56 1899.  Daily News, 15 May, 3/5. The long arm of coincidence.

57   d.  Qualifying a sb. denoting a measure of length, to indicate an extent greater than that expressed by the sb. (Cf. 10.)

58 1619.  in Ferguson & Nanson, Munic. Rec. Carlisle (1887), 278. [Buying] harden cloath in the merkett with a longe yeard and selling the same againe with a short yeard.

59 c. 1646.  True Relation, etc. in Glover, Hist. Derby (1829), I. App. 63. His Major … was forced to retreate in the night to Derby, being vi. long miles.

60 1697.  Rokeby, Diary, 57. Att Poulston Bridge (a long mile from Launceston) we entr into Cornwall.

61 1790.  Burns, Tam o’ Shanter, 7. We think na on the lang Scots miles … That lie between us and our hame.

62 1842.  Borrow, Bible in Spain (1843), II. xi. 245. I discovered that we were still two long leagues distant from Corcuvion.

63   e.  Of action, vision, etc.: Extending to a great distance. (Cf. long sight, 18.) At long weapons: (fighting) at long range. Similarly, at long bowls (or balls): said of ships cannonading one another at a distance. Also long train = long distance train.

64 1604.  E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, III. xiv. 163. Man hath not so long a sight,… to transporte his eyes … in so short a time.

65 1715–20.  Pope, Iliad, XVIII. 384. But mighty Jove cuts short, with just disdain, The long, long views of poor, designing man!

66 1723.  Wodrow Corr. (1843), III. 16. This would be … liker honest men, than to keep us at long weapons, and fighting in the dark.

67 1840.  Saunders, Reg. Sel. Comm. Railways, Quest. 361. Places on the line where short and long trains are running together.

68   f.  Long dung: manure containing long straw undecayed; so long litter (see LITTER sb. 3 b, c). Long forage: straw and green fodder, as distinguished from hay, oats, etc.

69 1664.  Evelyn, Kal. Hort., Nov. (1699), 130. The Leaves fallen in the Woods, may supply for Long-dung, laid about Artichocks and other things.

70 1775.  W. Marshall, Minutes Agric., 15 Feb. (1778). It forwards the digestion of stubble, offal straw, or long dung very much.

71 1797.  J. Jay, in Sir J. Sinclair’s Corr. (1831), II. 60. Long dung is better than rotten dung, in the furrows, for potatoes.

72 1812.  Wellington, Lett. to Earl Liverpool, 11 Feb., in Gurw., Desp. (1838), VIII. 602. To secure a supply of long forage for the Cavalry.

73 1830.  Cumb. Farm. Rep., 58, in Husbandry (L. U. K.), III. Long dung, that is to say, dung not fermented, may be applied to potatoes without any impropriety.

74   g.  A long beer, drink (colloq.): lit. of liquor in a long glass; hence, a large measure of liquor.

75 1859.  Trollope, W. Indies, iii. (1860), 48. A long drink is taken from a tumbler, a short one from a wine-glass.

76 1892.  E. Reeves, Homeward Bound, 61. He stepped into a bar and called for a long beer.

77   2.  Having (more or less, or a specified) extension from end to end: often with adv. or advb. phrase expressing the amount of length. It’s as long as it is broad: see BROAD a. 13. † Through long and broad —: through the length and breadth of.

78 c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., I. iii. (Schipper), 15. Þæt ealond on Wiht … is þrittiʓes mila lang east & west.

79 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1667. I sal þe tel how lang, how brade … it sal be made.

80 c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), ii. 5. Þe table … was a fote and a halfe lang.

81 1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, lxxii. 66. Unto the crose of breid and lenth, To gar his lymmis langar wax.

82 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 233 b. No longer quantitie, then that a man myght easely put thorough his arme.

83 1591.  Shaks., Two Gent., III. i. 131. A cloake as long as thine will serue the turne.

84 1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 4. The lenth … seuin hundir thousand pace lang, or thair about.

85 1617.  Moryson, Itin., III. IV. ii. 195. That … each person … possessing (through long and broad Germany) … 500 gold Guldens, should [etc.].

86 1678.  Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 77. Four Inches broad, and seven Foot long.

87 1688.  R. Holme, Armoury, III. 395/2. The size for makeing of Brick are 10 Inches long, 5 broad, and 3 thick.

88 1840.  G. V. Ellis, Anat., 293. The aqueduct of the cochlea is a small canal, about a quarter of an inch long.

89 1854.  Fraser’s Mag., XLIX. 505. A mark 30 feet long by 20.

90 1860.  Tyndall, Glac., II. ii. 240. The waves which produce red [light] are longer than those which produce yellow.

91   ¶ b.  With mixed construction: see OF 39 b.

92 1535.  Coverdale, Lam. ii. 20. Shal the women then eate their owne frute, euen children of a spanne longe?

93   † c.  Extending to. Obs.

94 c. 1610.  Women Saints, 148. There appeared before her a verie cleare white garment long to her foote, which she taking putt on her naked bodie.

95   3.  With reference to shape: Having the length much greater than the breadth; elongated.

96 1551, etc.  [see long square in 17].

97 1826.  Kirby & Sp., Entomol., IV. 261. Proportion … Long (Longa) Disproportionably long throughout.

98 1851.  Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 1175. Printed long shawls. Ibid., 1245. French long and square cashmeres.

99   4.  Of liquors: Ropy. ? Obs. [So G. lang.]

100 a. 1648.  Digby, Closet Open. (1677), 91. There let it [the wort] stand till it begin to blink and grow long like thin Syrup.

101 1703.  Art & Myst. Vintners, 43. If Wine at any time grow long or lowring. Ibid., 65. Sack that is lumpish or long.

102 [1859:  cf. long sugar in 18 below.]

103   II.  With reference to serial extent or duration.

104   5.  Of a series, enumeration or succession, a speech, a sentence, a word, a literary work, etc.: Having a great extent from beginning to end. Long bill: one containing a great number of items; hence, one in which the charges are excessive. Long hour: one indicated by a great number of strokes. † Long words: long discourse.

105 c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Luke xx. 47. Þa forswelʓað wydywyna hus hiwʓende lang ʓebed.

106 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 791. Quat bot es lang mi tale to draw.

107 c. 1483.  Caxton, Dialogues, v. 16/2. Dame what shall avaylle thenne Longe wordes?

108 c. 1500.  Melusine, 22. What shuld auayll yf herof I shuld make a longe tale?

109 1585.  Fetherstone, trans. Calvin’s Acts, xiii. 42. The Jewes who made boast of their long stock and race.

110 1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 305. And Grandsires Grandsons the long List contains.

111 1712.  P. Stanhope, in Lett. C’tess Suffolk (1824), I. 2. You do not know what you ask when you would have me write long letters.

112 1776.  Chester Chron., 16 May, 4/1. He spells long bead rolls of long words, which, when he comes to write his own thoughts, he finds himself very little better for.

113 1827.  H. Heugh, Jrnl., in Life, x. (1852), 203. Before the long hour of midnight all was hush.

114 1848.  Thackeray, Van. Fair, lx. He ain’t like old Veal, who is always bragging and using such long words, don’t you know?

115 1865.  Kingsley, Herew., II. vii. 106. That night the monks of Peterborough prayed in the minster till the long hours passed into the short.

116 1883.  Gilmour, Mongols (1884), 157. We had to wait a long time for a poor dinner, and pay a long bill for it when it came.

117   b.  colloq. Of numbers, and of things numerically estimated: Large. Chiefly in long family, odds, price. Also in Card games, long suit (see quot. 1876); long trump (see quot. 1746).

118 1746.  Hoyle, Whist (ed. 6), 68. Long Trump. Means the having one or more Trumps in your Hand when all the rest are out. Ibid., 29. The long Trump being forced out of his Hand.

119 1818.  Sporting Mag., II. 22. The admirers of youth … added to the chance of long-odds proved eager takers.

120 1840.  E. E. Napier, Scenes & Sports For. Lands, I. v. 140. The natives are very partial to this breed, and give long prices for them.

121 1849.  Chambers’s Inform., II. 720/1. Cylinder machines are only suitable for long impressions.

122 1858.  Trollope, Dr. Thorne, II. x. 177. He was a prudent, discreet man, with a long family, averse to professional hostilities.

123 1876.  A. Campbell-Walker, Correct Card (1880), Gloss. 12. Long suit, one of which you hold originally more than three cards. The term is, therefore, indicative of strength in numbers.

124 1892.  J. Payn, Mod. Whittington, I. 177. He thinks I may pull off the long odds.

125   6.  Of a period of time, of a process, state, or action, viewed as extending over a period of time: Having a great extent in duration. Long account: see ACCOUNT sb. 8 b.

126 c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. ix. (Schipper), 231. He … wæs mid langre adle laman leʓeres swiðe ʓehefiʓad.

127 c. 1330.  Arth. & Merl., 6779 (Kölbing). In þis sorweful time & lange.

128 c. 1330.  Spec. Gy Warw., 744. To sen … Þe longe lyff, þat is so god.

129 1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. Prol. 195. For better is a litel losse þan a longe sorwe.

130 c. 1475.  Rauf Coilȝear, 828. Thay maid ane lang battail, Ane hour of the day.

131 1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, lxv. 21. Than in frustrar is [all] ȝour lang leirning.

132 1530.  Palsgr., 612/2. To lyve in langour is no lyfe, but a longe dyeng.

133 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron. Edw. IV., 229. Thus laie the englishmen in the feldes when the cold nightes began to waxe long.

134 1576.  Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 348. To blesse you with the long possession of your kingdome.

135 1619.  R. Waller, in Lismore Papers (1887), Ser. II. II. 228. I feare lest he be no longe lyffes man.

136 1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 535. Enjoy, till I return, Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed.

137 1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 711. His long Toils were forfeit for a Look.

138 1727–41.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Bishop, It is a long time that bishops have been distinguished from mere priests or presbyters.

139 1735.  Pope, Prol. Sat., 132. To help me thro’ this long disease, my Life.

140 1759.  Johnson, Idler, No. 45, ¶ 2. The general lampooner of mankind may find long exercise for his zeal.

141 1774.  Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), V. 331. There was a long and earnest contention between them.

142 1809.  Sheridan, in Sheridaniana (1826), 217. Let us make a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether.

143 1820.  Scott, Monast., xxiii. The thought, that I have sent this man to a long account, unhouseled and unshrived.

144 1900.  J. G. Frazer, Pausanias, etc. 52. Her brief noon of glory, and her long twilight of decrepitude and decay.

145   b.  Long of life: = ‘of long life.’ Now rare.

146 c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., III. 156. Gif mann bið akenned on anre nihte ealdne monan, se bið lang lifes.

147 1591.  Sparry, trans. Cattan’s Geomancie, 97. They [children] shall be of good nature and complexion, and not long of life.

148 1812.  Mad. D’Arblay, Lett., 29 May, in Diary (1846), VI. 349. I am charmed to see how literature, as well as astronomy, is long of life.

149 1821.  Byron, Foscari, IV. i. 61. Discarded princes Are seldom long of life.

150   7.  Long time, while, etc., are often used advb. (now, exc. poet., always preceded by a) with the sense ‘during a long time’ = LONG adv. 1. (Longtime, longwhile have occas. been written without division.) This long time or while: for a long time down to the present.

151 c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., I. xxv. (Schipper), 54. Þæt we forlætan þa wisan þe we langre tide … heoldon.

152 a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 437. He heold on to herien his heaðene maumez … long time of þe dei.

153 c. 1330.  Spec. Gy Warw., 62. Þe world þurw his foule gile Haþ me lad to longe while.

154 c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xli. (Agnes), 368. A prest … paulyne … had bene chaste langtyme.

155 c. 1425.  Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 1417. Syth they so long tyme haue made me so madde.

156 c. 1470.  Henryson, Tale of Dog, 68. They … held ane lang quhile disputatioun.

157 c. 1489.  Caxton, Blanchardyn, xxxix. 146. We … haue ben a longe espace wyth hym.

158 1513.  More, in Grafton, Chron. (1568), II. 759. They … thinke that he long time in king Edwardes life forethought to be king.

159 1557.  Grimald, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 101. For if, long time, one put this yron in vre.

160 1640.  trans. Verdere’s Rom. of Rom., I. xxxvi. 157. Certain Magicians, whom I have long time known.

161 1694.  L. Echard, Plautus’s Comedies, 196. I knew th’ owner o’ that portmantle this long time.

162 1738.  Swift, Fol. Convers., i. 7. How has your Lordship done this long time?

163 a. 1849.  J. C. Mangan, Poems (1859), 456. Dream and waking life … blended Longtime in the cavern of my soul.

164 1883.  R. W. Dixon, Mano, I. viii. 22. So that long time he fed upon false joy.

165   b.  Similarly with preceding prep., † by, for, † in, of. (arch. or dial.) (Now always with a.)

166 1386.  Rolls of Parlt., III. 225/1. Many wronges … ydo to hem by longe tyme here before passed.

167 c. 1400.  [see OF prep. 53].

168 1440.  J. Shirley, Dethe K. James (1818), 17. The Kyng, heryng of long tyme no … stirryng of the traitours,… demyd that thay had all begone.

169 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 80. It is commonly sayd, that in long tyme al thinges continue not in one estate.

170 1579–80.  North, Plutarch, Theseus (1595), 19. Those who had hated him of a long time, had … a disdain & contempt to fear him any more.

171 1589.  Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xxiv. (Arb.), 285. He had not sene him wait of long time.

172 1629.  Maxwell, trans. Herodian (1635), 386. This Capellianus and Gordian had not beene friends of a long time.

173 1753.  Richardson, Grandison (1781), V. v. 34. But, Brother, my Lord, I have not been at church of a long time.

174 1833.  [see OF prep. 53].

175 Mod.  I have not seen him for a long while.

176   8.  Having (more or less, or a specified) extension serially or temporally. (See also LENGER, LENGEST adjs.)

177 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 2173. Thare his sun liued langar lijf.

178 c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, iv. (Jacobus), 344. Þai þe croice before þam set, and he bristit but langar lat.

179 c. 1420.  Anturs of Arth., 314. I hafe na langare tyme mo tales to telle.

180 1590.  Shaks., Mids. N., V. i. 61. A play there is, my Lord, some ten words long.

181 1710.  W. Bishop, in Ballard MSS., XXXI. 57. He read a speech an Hour & half long.

182 1712.  Steele, Spect., No. 498, ¶ 2. Of how long standing this honour has been, I know not.

183 1824.  Scott, Redgauntlet, ch. iv. I will take such measures for silencing you as you shall remember the longest day you have to live.

184 1838.  Lytton, Alice, iii. The lesson must be longer than usual to day.

185 1868.  Lockyer, Elem. Astron., iii. § 18 (1879), 100. The longest time an eclipse of the sun can be total at any place is seven minutes.

186 1886.  Swinburne, Stud. Prose & Poetry (1894), 164. The two longest of the dramatic poems … bear upon them … the sign of heroic meditation.

187   † b.  (All) the long day, night, etc. = ‘all the day, etc., long’ (see LONG adv. 6). Cf. LIVELONG a.

188 1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10491. Þe king … hangede men gultles vor wraþþe al longe day.

189 c. 1375.  Cursor M., 12624 (Fairf.). Þi fader & I as many way soȝt þe a-boute þis lange day.

190 c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 50. Walking in the mede … The longe day, thus walking in the grene.

191 1540–54.  Croke, 13 Ps. (Percy Soc.), 13. To trap me, yf they coulde, They studied wiles all the longe daye.

192 1559.  W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 36. All sterres with in this circle included, do nether rise, nor yet set, but turne round about the pole, all the longe nyght.

193   ¶ c.  With mixed construction: see OF 39 b.

194 1592.  Nashe, P. Penilesse, 24 b. And hold you content, this Summer an vnder-meale of an afternoone long doth not amisse to exercise the eies withall.

195 1592.  Lyly, Midas, III. iii. Let me heare anie woman tell a tale of x lines long without it tend to loue.

196 1782.  Miss Burney, Cecilia, VI. v. A lecture of two hours long.

197   9.  With implication of excessive duration: Continuing too long; lengthy, prolix, tedious; † also in phr. It, etc., were (too) long to, etc. Hence occas. of a speaker or writer.

198 c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 9. Oðre godere werke þe nu were long eou to telle.

199 a. 1300–40.  Cursor M., 950 (Gött.). In till þe wreched world to gang, Þar þu sal thinck þi lijf ful lang.

200 c. 1450.  Holland, Howlat, 34. All thar names to nevyn … It war prolixt and lang, and lenthing of space.

201 1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, xl. 5. This lang Lentern makis me lene.

202 1570.  Satir. Poems Reform., x. 71. It war lang to discerne The godly giftis that this our Sone did lerne.

203 1573.  L. Lloyd, Marrow of Hist. (1653), 279. What should I be long in this?

204 c. 1586.  Sidney, Arcadia, I. (1590), 17 b. But I am euer too long vppon him, when hee crosseth the waie of my speache.

205 1604.  E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, IV. xxxix. 315. It were long to report the … pleasant sportes they make.

206 1621.  in Crt. & Times Jas. I. (1849), II. 277. Though he were somewhat long in the explanation of these particulars, yet he had great attention.

207 1640.  trans. Verdere’s Rom. of Rom., III. iv. 13. He … thought it long till hee was in the Citie, that he might be conducted to his Lady.

208 1661.  Feltham, Lusoria, xli. in Resolves (1709), 604. A sheet of Bacon’s catch’d at more, we know, Than all sad Fox, long Holinshead or Stow.

209 1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 256. I cou’d be long in Precepts.

210 1704.  Pope, Disc. Past. Poetry, Wks. (Globe), 11. He is apt to be too long in his descriptions.

211 1875.  M. Arnold, Isa. xl.–lxvi. 31. I have been too long; but the present attempt is new, and needed explanation.

212 1876.  Trevelyan, Life Macaulay, I. vi. 421. He beguiled the long long languid leisure of the Calcutta afternoon.

213   b.  Chiefly Sc. To think long: to grow weary or impatient. Const. for, to (do something); also, till (something happens).

214 [c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 183. Gief þe licame beð euel loð is heo þe sowle and hire þuncheð lang þat hie on him bi-leueð.]

215 c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, IX. 1275. To folow him thai twa thocht neuyr lang.

216 1508.  Dunbar, Poems, v. 27. Sche … thoght ryght lang To se the ailhous beside, in till an euill hour.

217 c. 1530.  Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt., 445. I shal think tyll that season be come as long or longer than ye shal do.

218 1586.  Earl Leicester, in L. Corr. (Camden), 362. I feare it be thought longe till some well-instructed come here.

219 1592.  Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. v. 41. Haue I thought long to see this mornings face, And doth it giue me such a sight as this?

220 1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., IX. 192. Al in Scotland thocht lang for the Gouernour.

221 1599.  Greene, Alphonsus, IV. Wks. (Rtldg.), 240/1. And thinking long till that we be in fight.

222 1628.  Earl Manchester, in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 267. The Lady mother thinks long to see them settled at their own house.

223 a. 1758.  Ramsay, Ep. Hamilton, ii. When kedgy carles think nae lang, When stoups and trunchers gingle.

224 1788.  Clara Reeve, Exiles, I. 195. We think long till we see you.

225   10.  Qualifying a sb. denoting a period of time, a number, or quantity, to indicate an extent greater than that expressed by the sb.; also, in subjective sense, to indicate that the time is felt by the speaker to be excessive or unusual in duration. (Cf. 1 d.) Long years: used rhetorically for ‘many years.’ At (the) long last: see LAST a. 10 b. Long dozen, hundred, ton: see the sbs.

226 1592.  Stow, Ann. (an. 1563), 1111. Continuing in fight aboue a long hower.

227 1676.  Dryden, Aureng-z., I. i. Wks. 1883, V. 207. And two long hours in close debate were spent.

228 1681.  W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 839/2. ’Tis a long year since I saw you here.

229 1801.  Scott, Frederick & Alice. Seven long days, and seven long nights, Wild he wander’d.

230 1808.  Byron, When we two parted. If I should meet thee After long years, How should I greet thee? Ibid. (1824), Juan, XVI. lxxxi. And rise at nine in lieu of long eleven.

231 1871.  Carlyle, in Mrs. Carlyle’s Lett., III. 175. For long years I had ceased writing in my note-books.

232 1883.  R. W. Dixon, Mano, I. xiv. 46. Lips travelled over cheek and mouth by turn For a long hour.

233   b.  Of the pulse: Making long beats, slow.

234 1898.  Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 929. In strict stenosis … we ordinarily have a long slow pulse.

235   11.  That has continued or will continue in action, operation or obligation for a long period. Frequently applied to feelings, dispositions, etc., e.g., enmity, friendship; hence also, to persons in whom these are exhibited. Long memory: one that retains the recollection of events for a long period.

236 c. 1220.  Bestiary, 275. Ðe mire muneð vs mete to tilen, Long liuenoðe, ðis little wile ðe we on ðis werld wunen.

237 1535.  Coverdale, Jer. xv. 15. Receaue not my cause in thy longe wrath.

238 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. IV., 31. Havyng also approved experience that the Duke of Burgoine wolde kepe no longer promise then he him selfe listed.

239 1573.  L. Lloyd, Marrow of Hist. (1653), 269. Their long and great enemy, Philip King of Macedonia.

240 1613.  Shaks., Hen. VIII., III. ii. 351. A long farewell to all my Greatnesse.

241 1626.  Bacon, Sylva, § 97. Juices of Stock-gilly-flowers,… applyed to the Wrests,… have cured long Agues.

242 1679.  Evelyn, Diary (1827), III. 10. This most … pious Lady, my long acquaintance.

243 1697.  Dryden, Æneid, IX. 102. Those Woods, that Holy Grove, my long delight.

244 1704.  Marlborough, Lett. & Disp. (1845), I. 238. It has been a long practice to send letters, under his covers, from unknown hands.

245 a. 1715.  Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 380. He was a long, and very kind patron to me.

246 1726.  Swift, Gulliver, I. viii. I had a long lease of the Black Bull in Fetter-Lane.

247 1733.  Budgell, Bee, I. 37. Mr. John Mills, my long Acquaintance, living now in Drury-Lane.

248 1759.  Johnson, Rasselas, xxix. Long customs are not easily broken.

249 1819.  E. S. Barrett, Metropolis (ed. 5), II. 228. The ridicule such conduct brought upon him among the thinking part of his long acquaintances.

250 1856.  Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, I. 2. If her kiss Had left a longer weight upon my lips.

251 a. 1867.  Lady Dufferin, Lament Irish Emigrant, 49. I’m biddin’ you a long farewell, My Mary.

252 1869.  Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), III. xiii. 314. The Celtic race has a long memory.

253 1882.  T. Mozley, Remin. Oriel Coll., I. 13. His recollections … contained some novelties, not to say surprises, to his longest friends.

254   b.  (colloq. or proverbial.) A long word: one that indicates a long time.

255 1861.  Cornh. Mag., Dec., 685. Ye’re the biggest blag-guard my eyes have seen since I’ve been in London, and that’s saying a long word.

256 1883.  Standard, 28 July, 5/1. ‘Never’ is a long word.

257   ¶ c.  ? Used for: Long-suffering. Obs. rare–1.

258 1483.  Caxton, Gold. Leg., 320/1. He was a merueilous Rethour by eloquence, a susteynour and a berar up of the chirch by doctryne, shorte to hymself by humylyte and longe to other by charyte.

259   12.  Of a point of time: Distant, remote. Now only in long date, and in the legal phrase a long day.

260 1437.  Rolls of Parlt., IV. 509/1. Yai byen notable substance of gode to apprest, and to long dayes.

261 c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., I. iv. 18. Bifore that eny positijf lawe of God … was ȝouen to the Iewis fro the long time of Adamys comyng out of Paradijs into the tyme … of Abraham.

262 c. 1450.  Holland, Howlat, 425. Thar lordschipe of sa lang dait.

263 1596.  Spenser, Prothalamion, 144. Here fits not well Olde woes, but ioyes, to tell Against the bridale daye, which is not long.

264 1614.  Selden, Titles Hon., 261. That its deriud from Βαρύς, I must take long day to beleeu.

265 1632.  Massinger, City Madam, I. iii. You must give me longer day.

266 1709.  Mrs. Manley, Secret Mem. (1736), II. 92. Is his Pimishment deferr’d to a long Hereafter?

267 1748.  Richardson, Clarissa (1811), II. 126. A long day, I doubt, will not be permitted me.

268 1776.  Lett., in Gentl. Mag. (1792), 14/1. He has paid me with a bond … due in October 1777, which is a long date.

269 1787.  T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 333. To obtain on the new loans a much longer day for the reimbursement of the principal.

270 1846.  Daily News, 21 Jan., 4/6. Bills on Amsterdam at long, or 3 months’ date, found no takers.

271   b.  Of bills, promissory notes, etc.: Of long date, having a long time to run.

272 1861.  Goschen, For. Exch., 87. Rates given for long paper, as compared with those for bills on demand.

273   13.  a. Phonetics and Prosody. Applied to a vowel (in mod. use also to a consonant) when its utterance has the greater of the two measures of duration that are recognized in the ordinary classification of speech-sounds. Also, in Prosody, of a syllable: Belonging to that one of the two classes which is supposed to be distinguished from the other by occupying a longer time in utterance. (Opposed to short.) Long mark: the mark (¯) placed over a vowel letter to indicate long quantity.

274   In Greek and Latin meter, a syllable is reckoned long (1) when it contains a long vowel or a diphthong, and (2) when its vowel is followed by more than one consonant (to the latter rule there are certain exceptions). A short syllable is conventionally supposed to occupy one time-unit (mora) in utterance, and a long syllable two. The distinction between the two classes of syllables, with criteria nearly identical with those of Gr. and Latin, is recognized in the prosody of many other peoples; in Skr. the equivalents of ‘long’ and ‘short’ are used of vowels only, syllables being classed as ‘heavy’ and ‘light.’

275   Various inaccurate uses of the terms long and short were formerly almost universal in Eng., and are still common. (1) The vowel of a ‘long’ syllable, if ‘naturally’ short, was said to be ‘long by position.’ (2) By a confusion between the principles of quantitative and those of accentual verse, the stressed syllables, on the periodical recurrence of which the rhythm of English verse depends, were said to be ‘long,’ and the unstressed syllables ‘short.’ (3) In ordinary language ‘the long a, e, i, o, or u’ denotes that sound of the letter which is used as its alphabetical name, while ‘the short a, e, i, o, or u’ denotes the sound which the letter most commonly has in a stressed short syllable (in the notation used in this Dictionary, respectively æ, e, i, ρ, v).

276 c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gram., iv. (Z.), 37. On langne o ʓeendiað grecisce naman feminini generis.

277 1412–20.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, ii. 184. I took none hede noþer of short ne long.

278 1530.  Palsgr., Introd. 21. A vowell shalbe … longe or short in his pronounciation.

279 1575.  Gascoigne, Eng. Verse (Arb.), 33. The graue accent … maketh that sillable long wherevpon it is placed.

280 1582.  Stanyhurst, Æneis (Arb.), 11. Thee first of briefly wyth vs must bee long. Ibid., 12. Although yt [sc. the conjunction and] bee long by position.

281 1585.  Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 55. I haue markit the lang fute with this mark, ¯.

282 1668.  Wilkins, Real Char., III. xi. 364. Suppose a long Vowel to be divided into two parts; as Bo-ote.

283 1807.  Robinson, Archæol. Græca, V. xxiii. 535. In the Greek language every syllable was short or long.

284 1869.  A. J. Ellis, E. E. Pronunc., I. 13. The use … of the long mark (¯) for the lengthening of vowels generally short.

285   b.  Mus. Of a note: Occupying a more than average time, or a specified time, in being sounded. (Cf. 6 and 8.)

286 1818.  T. Busby, Grammar Mus., 69. If a Minim is only half as long as a Semibreve, and a Crotchet but half the length of a Minim, a Crotchet is only one quarter as long as a Semibreve.

287   14.  Comm. Said of the market (esp. in the cotton trade) when consumers have provided against an anticipated scarcity by large contracts in advance. See quot. 1859. Phrase, to go (heavily) long.

288 1859.  Bartlett, Dict. Amer., Long and short. Broker’s terms. ‘Long’ means when a man has bought stock on time, which he can call for at any day he chooses. He is also said to be ‘long’ when he holds a good deal.

289 Mod. Newspaper.  The spinners had gone heavily long, and consequently did not need to buy except in very small quantities. It was found that selling was impossible except at constantly declining prices; that the market was heavily long; and that there was no short interest of any moment.

290   III.  In Combination.

291   15.  In concord with sbs., forming combinations used attributively or quasi-adj., as long-berry, -day, -distance, -focus, -gown, -journey, -pod, -quantity, -range, -sentence, -span.

292 1886.  Daily News, 16 Sept., 2/5. Coffee.—140 packages Mocha, *longberry, 100s. Ibid. (1891), 10 Feb., 2/8. [Wheats] To-day 39s. 6d. was required for longberry.

293 1892.  Labour Commission, Gloss., *Long-day men.

294 1887.  Shearman, Athletics (Badm. Libr.), 101. In training for *long-distance races, in which category we should place those at a mile and upwards, [etc.]. Ibid., 103. The long-distance runner is rarely over middle height.

295 1890.  Anthony’s Photogr. Bull., III. 327. Another use of *long focus lenses is the taking of street groups from a distance.

296 1677.  Sedley, Antony & Cl., IV. i. Dull *long-gown statesmen.

297 1880.  Sir E. Reed, Japan, II. 310. *Long-journey travellers.

298 1898.  Engineering Mag., XVI. 80. One of the Portsmouth, or other long-journey, trains.

299 1846.  J. Baxter, Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4), I. 89. *Long-pod [Bean]—The most abundant bearer.

300 1872.  Young Gentleman’s Mag., 651/2. A *long-quantity monosyllable is introduced.

301 1873.  W. Cory, Lett. & Jrnls. (1897), 329. An American here shouts with a *long-range voice.

302 1902.  Edin. Rev., April, 291. Into these wars long-range infantry fire seldom entered.

303 1889.  ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Robbery under Arms, xxiii. We were *‘long sentence men.’

304 1890.  W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 41. Every *long-span bridge in the world.

305   16.  Parasynthetic derivatives in -ED2, unlimited in number, as long-armed, -backed, -bearded, etc.

306 1774.  Goldsm., Nat. Hist., IV. 206. The Gibbon, so called by Buffon, or the *Long Armed Ape.

307 1888.  Barrie, Auld Licht Idylls, xii. (1902), 87/1. A lank long-armed man.

308 1611.  Cotgr., s.v. Eschine, Longue eschine,… *long-backt, or ill shaped, loobie.

309 1787.  ‘G. Gambado,’ Acad. Horsemen (1809), 32. A long back’d horse, who throws his saddle well forward.

310 1837.  Landor, Pentameron, 5th Day’s Interview, Wks. 1853, II. 348/1. Sitting bolt-upright in that long-backed arm-chair.

311 1778.  Da Costa, Brit. Conch., 133. *Long-beaked Whelkes.

312 1573.  L. Lloyd, Marrow of Hist. (1653), 165. Those that were long haired or *long bearded.

313 1679.  Dryden & Lee, Œdipus, II. 18. Long-bearded Comets.

314 c. 1806.  Mrs. Sherwood, in Life, xxi. (1847), 356. The schoolmaster … was generally a long-bearded, dry old man.

315 1590.  Sir J. Smyth, Disc. Weapons, 3. Verie well armed with some kind of head-peece, a collar, a deformed high and *long bellied breast.

316 1892.  E. Reeves, Homeward Bound, 212. Dirty, dark, *long-berried wheat, 1d. per pound.

317 1831.  A. Wilson & Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith., III. 60. The *long-billed curlew;… the bill is eight inches long.

318 1696.  Lond. Gaz., No. 3163/4. W. L. … low of stature, somewhat *long Bodied, and very short Legg’d.

319 1864.  A. McKay, Hist. Kilmarnock (1880), 299. [During a flood in a through-town river] a long-bodied cart drifted towards him.

320 1646–8.  G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. 1878, I. 213. My *long-brail’d Pineons, (clumsye and vnapt) I cannot Spread.

321 1884.  Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner. & Ferns, 388. The *long-celled initial strands of the vascular bundles.

322 1742.  Young, Nt. Th., IX. 1454. Ev’ry link Of that *long-chain’d succession is so frail.

323 1777.  Pennant, Zool., IV. 5. Cancer. Crab…. Cassivelaunus. *Long-clawed.

324 1812.  Shelley, in Lady Shelley, Mem. (1859), 44. I am one of those formidable and long-clawed animals called a man.

325 1813.  Vancouver, Agric. Devon, 352. The washed wool of all the *Longcoated sheep, is sold from 14d. to 15d. per pound.

326 1861.  W. F. Collier, Hist. Eng. Lit., 123. Hordes of long-coated peasants gathered round Kilcolman.

327 1657.  W. Coles, Adam in Eden, cxvii. After which come large and *long-crested, black-shining seed.

328 1593.  Shaks., Lucr., cclviii. Let my unsounded self, supposed a fool, Now set thy *long-experienced wit to school.

329 a. 1700.  Dryden, Ovid’s Met., X. Cinyras & Myrrha, 192. My long-experienc’d Age shall be your Guide.

330 1591.  Percivall, Sp. Dict., Cariluengo, *long faced.

331 1883.  W. Haslam, ‘Yet not I,’ 222. He was looking well and happy, not at all long-faced and lanky.

332 1879.  R. H. Elliot, Written on their Foreheads, I. 14. How is it … that the Scotch have got a greater amount of *long-facedness than the people of the east coast of England.

333 1678.  Lond. Gaz., No. 1272/4. He is … purblind, between *long and round favoured.

334 1843.  G. P. R. James, Forest Days, iv. The pen where the fat, *long-fleeced ram was confined.

335 1861.  Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., V. 184. Order. Hydrocharideæ … (*Long-flowered Anacharis).

336 1552.  Huloet, *Longe foted, compernis.

337 1652.  Gaule, Magastrom., 186. The long footed are fraudulent and short footed sudden.

338 1832.  Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. V. 60. A very *long-fronted, very regular, very ugly brick house.

339 1621.  Wither, Motto, A 8 b. I haue no neede of these *long-gowned warriors.

340 1552.  Huloet, *Longe heared, acrocomus.

341 1781.  Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxx. III. 150. A military council was assembled of the long-haired chiefs of the Gothic nation.

342 1872.  Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xvii. 92. The … long-haired children of the north.

343 1800.  trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 37. Remove the oxide with a *long-handled iron spoon.

344 1860.  Tyndall, Glac., I. xi. 70. Simond could reach this snow with his long-handled axe.

345 1687.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2292/4. A Roan Gelding … *long heel’d before.

346 1864.  Bowen, Logic, viii. 236. Since he [negro] has many other [attributes], such as being long-heeled, &c.

347 1777.  Pennant, Zool., IV. 3. Cancer. Crab…. Longicornis. *Longhorned.

348 1846.  M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 165. The Dishly breed of long-horned cattle.

349 1727.  Bailey, vol. II., *Long Jointed [spoken of a Horse], is one whose Pastern is slender and pliant.

350 c. 1605.  Drayton, Man in Moone, 199. *Long leau’d willow on whose bending spray, The pide kings-fisher … sat.

351 1861.  Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., V. 95. Long-leaved Sallow.

352 1838.  Dickens, O. Twist, xlii. One of those *long limbed … people, to whom it is difficult to assign any precise age.

353 1577.  trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 381. They were called Nazarites, as who should saie, *long locked or shagge haired people.

354 1871.  R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, xxxvii. 17. Peerless paragon of the tribe long-lock’d.

355 1877.  W. Morris, in Mackail, Life (1899), I. 359. These unreasonable Irish still remember it all, so *long-memoried they are!

356 1681.  Grew, Musæum, 125. The *long-mouth’d Wilk, Murex Labris parallelis.

357 1685.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2036/8. A light dapple Gray Gelding,… *long pasternd,… and a little Mare-fac’d.

358 1688.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2361/4. A strawberry Mare, with a shorn Mane,… *long quarter’d, and six years old.

359 1693.  Dryden, Persius Sat. (1697), 414. He who in his Line, can chine the *long-ribb’d Appennine.

360 1820.  Scott, Abbot, viii. motto, The long-ribb’d aisles are burst and shrunk.

361 1622.  Drayton, Poly-olb., xxvii. 44. That *long-ridg’d Rocke, her fathers high renowne.

362 1683.  Lond. Gaz., No. 1805/4. Long Visaged, and a long ridged Nose.

363 1752.  Fielding, Amelia, Wks. 1775, XI. 65. Women and the clergy are upon the same footing, The *long-robed gentry are exempted from the laws of honour.

364 1894.  [Gertrude L. Bell], Safar nameh. Persian Pict., 158–9. The streets narrowed and became more populous—thronged, indeed, with long-robed men and shrouded women.

365 1871.  Palgrave, Lyr. Poems, 117. And *long-roof’d abbey in the dell.

366 1877.  J. D. Chambers, Divine Worship, 280. Plain *long-shafted Crosses without any figure.

367 1601.  Holland, Pliny, I. 310. Marke what *long-shanked legs aboue ordinary she [Nature] hath giuen unto them [gnats].

368 1835–6.  Todd, Cycl. Anat., I. 653/1. The *long-shaped dorsal vessel or heart gives off arteries to both sides.

369 1898.  ‘H. S. Merriman,’ Roden’s Corner, xvii. 176. A long-shaped lantern.

370 1902.  Speaker, 25 Jan., 480/1. The Iberian was a short, dark, *long-skulled man.

371 1591.  Percivall, Sp. Dict., Mangado, *long sleeved.

372 a. 1658.  Cleveland, Obsequies, 105, Wks. (1687), 218. Teazers of Doctrines, which in long sleev’d Prose Run down a Sermon all upon the Nose.

373 1816.  Kirby & Sp., Entomol. (1843), I. 378. The beautiful weevils or *long-snouted beetles.

374 1785.  Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxvii. (1794), 417. You may call it *long spurred, or Sweet Orchis.

375 1882.  Garden, 13 May, 323/3. [The] Long-spurred Violet.

376 1791.  Wolcot (P. Pindar), Remonstrance, Wks. 1812, II. 455. Night’s *long-staff’d Guardian to him steals.

377 1847.  W. E. Steele, Field Bot., 203. Barren spike sometimes 1; fertile *long-stalked.

378 1855.  W. S. Dallas, Syst. Nat. Hist., Zool., I. 314. The Long-stalked Crab (Podophthalmus).

379 1772.  Jackson, in Phil. Trans., LXIII. 6. *Long or short stapled isinglass.

380 1854.  Hawthorne, Eng. Note-Bks. (1883), I. 571. The long-stapled cotton.

381 1859.  G. Meredith, R. Feverel, xxx. He strolled on beneath the *long-stemmed trees.

382 1898.  R. Kipling, in Morn. Post, Nov., 5/2. The *long-stocked port-anchor.

383 1863.  Darwin, in Reader, 14 Feb. *Long-styled plants.

384 1636.  C. Butler, Princ. Mus., I. iii. § 3. 53. A *long-timed Note.

385 1807.  W. Irving, Salmag. (1824), 313. The unseemly luxury of *long-toed shoes.

386 1577.  Dee, Relat. Spir., I. (1659), 73. He is lean and *long-visaged.

387 1860.  Dickens, Lett., 2 Jan. (1880), II. 109. Long-visaged prophets.

388 1616.  Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 715. The *long-winged hawkes do properly belong into the lure.

389 1894.  Le Conte, in Pop. Sci. Monthly, XLIV. 752. In long-winged birds … the ability to rise quickly … is sacrificed.

390 1805.  Luccock, Nat. Wool, 184. *Long-wooled sheep.

391 1824.  J. Symmons, trans. Æschylus’ Agamemnon, 105.        In woe deals the craft of the *long-worded lays, And brings terror to light in the oracle song.

392   17.  Combinations with participles in which long is used as a complement, as long-docked, -extended, -grown, -projected, -protended, -spun, -thrown; long-combing, -descending, -growing, -hanging, -streaming, -succeeding.

393 1846.  M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 171. The native sheep of the Cotswold Hills … produce coarse *long-combing wool.

394 1693.  J. Dryden, in D.’s Juvenal, xiv. (1697), 356. A *long-descending Healthful Progeny.

395 1838.  Lytton, Leila, II. iii. Long-descending robes of embroidered purple.

396 1688.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2379/4. Lost…, a … Coach Gelding,… with a *long dock’d Tail.

397 1718.  Prior, Solomon, II. 30. The pillars *long extended rows.

398 1890.  W. A. Wallace, Only a Sister? 41. A faint rumble … at *longer-growing intervals.

399 1757.  Dyer, Fleece, II. 446. ’Tis the comber’s lock, The soft, the snow-white, and the *long-grown flake.

400 1597.  A. M., trans. Guillemeau’s Fr. Chirurg., 25/1. The foresayed *longe hanginge pallate.

401 1720.  Pope, Iliad, XVIII. 251. With *long-projected Beams the Seas are bright. Ibid. (1718), XVI. 981. Euphorbus … Swift withdrew the *long-protended Wood.

402 1675.  Cocker, Morals, 21. Which before time has run his *long-spun Race.

403 1761–2.  Hume, Hist. Eng. (1806), IV. lxii. 668. Long-spun allegories, distant allusions, and forced conceits.

404 1882.  Jas. Walker, Jaunt to Auld Reekie, etc., 38. He is blest wi’ lang-spun tacks o’ health and life.

405 1735.  Somerville, Chase, I. 352. The panting Chace … Leaves a *long-streaming Trail behind.

406 1720.  Pope, Iliad, XVII. 306. The *long-succeeding Numbers who can name?

407 1859.  G. Meredith, R. Feverel, xx. Over the open, ’tis a race with the *long-thrown shadows.

408   18.  Special combinations and collocations: long annuities, a class of British Government annuities that expired in 1860; long-axed a., having a long axis; † long-bones, a nickname for a long-legged person; long-bowls, (a) the game of ninepins; (b) ‘a game much used in Angus, in which heavy leaden bullets are thrown from the hand’ (Jam.); hence long-bowling; † long-box, the box formerly used by hawkers of books; long-bullets = long-bowls (b); long-butt Billiards, a cue specially adapted to reach a ball lying beyond the range of the half-butt; long card, (a) (see quot. 1862); (b) a card of unusual length, used in conjuring tricks; long clay colloq. = CHURCHWARDEN 3; long-clothes, the garments of a baby in arms; long-coach (see quot. 1807); † long-cork slang, claret, so called from the length of the corks used; long-crop, herbage long enough to give an animal a good bite; † long-cutler, ? a maker of long knives; long-dated a., † (a) that has existed from a remote date; (b) extending to a distant date in the future; chiefly of an acceptance, falling due at a distant date; long division (see DIVISION 5 a); long-drop, a form of gallows in which a trap-door is withdrawn from under the feet of the person to be executed; long Eliza, a ‘blue and white’ Chinese vase, ornamented with tall female figures; long-ells, a kind of coarse woollen; † long fifteens slang, ? some class of lawyers; long finger, the middle finger; also pl. the three middle fingers; long firm (see FIRM sb. 2 d); long-fly Baseball (see quot.); long-fours, long candles, four of which went to the pound; † Long Friday = GOOD FRIDAY; † long-gig, a sort of top; long grain = GRAIN sb. 15; long-harness Weaving (see quot.); long-home (see HOME sb.1 4); long-house, † (a) a privy (obs.); (b) a house of unusual length, spec. the communal dwelling of the Iroquois and other American Indians; long-jawed a. (see quot.); long jump (see JUMP sb.1 1 b; esp. as one of the ‘events’ of an athletic contest); hence long-jumper, long-jumping; long-leave, -legger (see quots.); long-lick U.S. slang, molasses (cf. long-sugar); † long-little, something very short or small; long-lugged a. Sc., having long ears; fig. eager to listen to secrets or scandal; long-lunged a. = LONG-WINDED 2; † long-man, the middle finger; long measure, (a) lineal measure, the measure of length; (b) a table of lineal measures; (c) = next; long metre, a hymn-stanza of four lines, each containing eight syllables; † long-minded a., patient; † long-mood a., of patient mind, long-suffering; long-nebbed a. Sc., (a) lit. long-nosed; (of a stick) long-pointed; (b) fig. curious, prying; also, making a show of learning, pedantic; long-netting, the process of catching fish with a long net; long-nines, a kind of long clay tobacco-pipe; long oyster, the sea crayfish (Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.); Long Parliament, the Parliament which sat from Nov. 1640 to March 1653, was restored for a short time in 1659 and finally dissolved in 1660; also, the second Parliament of Charles II. (1661–78); long-pig, a transl. of a cannibal’s name for human flesh; also attrib.; long plane (see quot. 1842); long prayer, in Congregational worship, the chief prayer, offered after the Scripture lessons and before the sermon; long-primer Printing (see PRIMER); long-room, an assembly room in a private house or public building; spec. in the Custom House at London, the large hall in which custom-house and other dues are paid; long-rope, a skipping game, in which a rope of considerable length is turned by two of the players, one at each end, while the others spring over it as it nears the ground; long sea, short for long sea passage; also attrib.; long service, (a) Naut. (see quot.); (b) Mil., ‘the maximum period a recruit can enlist for in any branch of the service, viz. for 12 years’ (Voyle); also attrib.; long-shaded, -shadowed adjs., casting a long shade or shadow, a rendering of Gr. δολιχόδκιος; long ship Hist., a ship of considerable length, built to accommodate a large number of rowers; a ship of war, a galley; = L. navis longa; long-short, (a) U.S., ‘a gown somewhat shorter than a petticoat, worn by women when doing household work’ (Bartlett); (b) a trochaic verse (nonce-use); long-shot, (a) a shot fired at a distance; (b) a distant range; also attrib.; long sight, capacity for seeing distant objects; also, the defect of sight by which only distant objects are seen distinctly; long-sixes, long candles, six of which went to the pound (cf. long-fours); long-sleever Austral. slang, a tall glass; long-slide Steam-engine (see quot.); long-splintery a., consisting of long splinters; † long square Geom., an oblong rectangle; also attrib.; † long-staff, a long cudgel, ? = QUARTER-STAFF; also attrib.; long-staple a. (see quot.); long stitch (see quot.); long-stone, a menhir; long-stroke, (a) Naut. (see quot. 1867); (b) a stroke of a piston or pump rod, which is longer than the average; also attrib.; long sugar U.S., molasses; long-sweetening U.S., (a) molasses; (b) (see quot.); long sword (See SWORD); long-tackle Naut. (see quot.); also attrib. in long-tackle-block; † long-tennis, some form of tennis (cf. F. longue paume, tennis played in an open court); long-threads, warp; long-timbers (see quot.); long-time a., that has been such for a long time; long-togs Naut., landsmen’s clothes (Smyth); Long Vacation, summer vacation at the Law-courts and Universities, so called in distinction from the Christmas and Easter vacations; also attrib.; long voyage (see quot.); long-wall Coal-mining, used attrib. (rarely advb.), to imply a particular method of extracting coal (see quot. 1851); † long-warped a., oblong (cf. OE. langwyrpe in Techmer’s Zeitschr., II. 119; long way = long-wall; long whist (see WHIST sb.); † long-willed a., long suffering; long-wool, (a) long-stapled wool, suitable for combing or carding; (b) a long-woolled sheep; also attrib.; long writ = prerogative writ (see PREROGATIVE).

409 1809.  R. Langford, Introd. Trade, 57. *Long annuities 161/2 means, that an annuity of 100l. from the present time to the year 1860, will cost … 161/2 years’ purchase; at which time they will expire. This stock was originally for 99 years.

410 1888.  Buxton, Finance & Politics, I. 189, note. The ‘Long Annuities’ dated from 1780. Their actual amount in 1860 was £1,200,000.

411 1896.  Allbutt’s Syst. Med., I. 33. The deep orbit and the *long-axed eyeball going naturally with the long head.

412 c. 1485.  Digby Myst. (1882), III. 190. Ye *langbaynnes, loselles, for-sake ȝe þat word!

413 1497.  Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl. (1877), I. 332. Item, the samyn nycht, in Sanctandrois, to the King to play at the *lang bowlis xviij.s.

414 1801.  Strutt, Sports & Past., III. vii. 201. *Long-bowling … was performed in a narrow enclosure,… and at the further end was placed a square frame with nine small pins upon it: at these pins the players bowled in succession.

415 1876.  Encycl. Brit., IV. 180/1. After the suppression of alleys ‘Long bowling,’ or ‘Dutch rubbers’ was practised for a short time.

416 a. 1643.  Cartwright, Ordinary, III. v. (1651), 52. I shall live to see thee Stand in a Play-house doore with thy *long box, Thy half-crown Library, and cry small Books.

417 1728.  Swift, Past. Dialogue, 33. When you saw Tady at *long-bullets play.

418 1792.  S. Burwood, Life P. Skelton (1816), 282. He challenged any of them to play long-bullets with him…. The little fellow … took the bullet, and threw it about twice as far as Skelton.

419 1873.  Bennett & ‘Cavendish,’ Billiards, 27. The *long-butt is used in the same way when the ball cannot be reached with the half-butt.

420 1862.  ‘Cavendish,’ Whist (1870), 29. *Long cards are cards of a suit remaining in one hand after the remainder of the suit is played.

421 1872.  Young Gentleman’s Mag., 698/2. Packs with a long card can be obtained at many of the conjuring depôts.

422 1861.  Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxf., xxi. He is churchwarden at home, and can’t smoke anything but a *long clay.

423 1862.  Sala, Accepted Addr., 85. It was settled almost before he was out of *long-clothes, that he was to be a carpenter.

424 1779.  G. Keate, Sketches fr. Nat. (1790), I. 26. The Margate *Long-Coach was drawn up in the yard, and the passengers already seated in it.

425 1807.  Goede, Stranger Eng., III. 59. Stage-coaches … others in form of a cylinder, are called long-coaches.

426 1829.  Marryat, F. Mildmay, xiv. The young officer might like a drop o’ *long cork; bring us … one o’ they claret bottles.

427 1878.  J. Inglis, Sport & W., xi. 121. They generally betake themselves then to some patch of grass or *long-crop outside the jungle.

428 1720.  Lond. Gaz., No. 5881/5. George Cottrell,… *Long-cuttler.

429 1678.  Norris, Coll. Misc. (1699), 213. He must be the more unwilling to break off a *long-dated Innocence, for the unsatisfying pleasure of a moment.

430 1866.  Crump, Banking, vii. 153. Long-dated bills will sometimes command a higher price than shorter dates.

431 1883.  Manch. Exam., 12 Dec., 5/1. The work-people no doubt act from a long-dated regard for their own interests.

432 1827.  Hutton, Course Math., I. 43. Divide by the whole divisor at once, after the manner of *Long division.

433 1833.  M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xi. (1859), 244. The lumbering flap of the *long drop was heard.

434 1884.  Pall Mall Gaz., 4 Dec., 6/1. *Long Elizas (the trade name for certain blue and white vases ornamented with figures of tall, thin China-women) is a name derived undoubtedly from the German or Dutch.

435 1753.  Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. V. lxiv. 292. From Holland they reckon one bale of maghoot, one of shalloons, and one of *long ells, to ten bales of begrest.

436 1843.  Penny Cycl., XXVII. 555/2. Druggets and long-ells … are made in Devon and Cornwall.

437 1611.  L. Barry, Ram Alley, II. i. C 4. Why so, these are tricks of the *long fifteenes, To giue counsell, and to take fees on both sides.

438 c. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 309/336. He pult forth is felawe, þe *‘longue finger,’ þat sit him next.

439 1486.  Bk. St. Albans, B v b. Betwene the longe fyngre and the leche fyngre.

440 1848.  Rimbault, Pianoforte, 45. Every change is made by passing the thumb under the long fingers, or the long fingers over the thumb.

441 1891.  N. Crane, Baseball, 81. *Long fly, a fly ball which is batted to the out-field.

442 1832.  Boston, etc. Herald, 18 Sept., 1/4. Making long-sixes burn as brightly as *long-fours.

443 c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., John xviii. 1, marg. Ðes passio ʓe-byreð on *langa frigadæʓ.

444 c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 95. Crepe to cruche on lange fridai.

445 1636.  Davenant, Wits, IV. ii. Dram. Wks. 1872, II. 199. When I was young, I was arrested for a stale commodity Of nut-crackers, *long-gigs, and casting-tops.

446 1884.  Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner. & Ferns, 471. The longitudinal course of the single elements … appearing in the direction of the *‘long grain’ of the wood and bast.

447 1782.  Encycl. Brit., 6711/2. The *long-harness [of a ribbon-loom] are the front-reeds, by which the figure is raised.

448 1622.  Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., II. 355. To make wads and wisps for those that go to the *Long-house (you know what I meane).

449 1646.  Sir J. Temple, Irish Rebell., 4. He set up a long house, made of smoothed wattles.

450 1774.  D. Jones, Jrnl. 2 Visits to Indians (1865), 76. They proceed to bind them [captives] naked to the post in the long house.

451 1826.  J. F. Cooper, Last of Mohicans, Pref. (1850). Where the ‘long house,’ or Great Council Fire, of the nation was universally admitted to be established.

452 1894.  Fiske, Hist. U.S., i. 5. Ground-plan of Iroquois Long-house.

453 1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Long-jawed, the state of rope when its strands are straightened by being much strained and untwisted, and from its pliability will coil both ways.

454 1882.  Besant, Revolt of Man, vi. 160. It is better to advance the knowledge of the world one inch than to win the *long-jump with two-and-twenty feet.

455 1887.  Shearman, Athletics (Badm. Libr.), 149. The *long-jumper, like the sprinter, may be a man of almost any size or weight.

456 1882.  Society, 7 Oct., 23/1. As a man he has done extraordinary work at *long-jumping, sprinting, and hurdle-racing.

457 1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Long leave, permission to visit friends at a distance. Ibid., *Long leggers, lean schooners, longer than ordinary proportion to breadth, swift.

458 1898.  F. T. Bullen, Cruise ‘Cachalot’ (1900), i. 6. A pot of something sweetened with *‘longlick’ (molasses) made an apology for a meal.

459 1653.  Fisher, Baby Baptism, 7. There was but a very *long-little, in comparison of what else might have been delivered.

460 1815.  Scott, Guy M., xlv. While that *lang-lugged limmer o’ a lass is gaun flisking in and out o’ the room.

461 1901.  N. Munro, in Blackw. Mag., March, 355/1. It’s a gossiping community this, long-lugged and scandal-loving.

462 1659.  Howell, Lex., Prov., Ded. to Philologers. A significant … Proverb … works upon the Intellectuals … more then a … *long-lungd Sermon.

463 1815.  Byron, To Moore, 12 June. The villain is a … long-lunged orator.

464 c. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 308/313. *‘Longueman’ hatte þe midleste for he longuest is.

465 a. 1475.  Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 753/1. Hic medius, the longman.

466 1709.  J. Ward, Yng. Math. Guide, I. iii. (1734), 33. The least Part of a *Long Measure was at First a Barly Corn.

467 1801.  W. Dupré, Neolog. Fr. Dict., 131. Hectomètre … in the long measure of the new republican division, is equal to one hundred metres.

468 1718.  *Long metre [see COMMON a. 19 b].

469 1618.  S. Ward, Iethro’s Iustice (1627), 22. [A judge] must be … *long-minded, to endure the … homelinesse of common people in giving evidence.

470 a. 1300.  E. E. Psalter cii. 8. Laverd … milde-herted and *lang-mode.

471 1720.  Ramsay, Rise & Fall of Stocks, 32. Impos’d on by *lang-nebbit juglers Stock-jobbers, brokers [etc.].

472 1823.  Hogg, Sheph. Cal. (1829), I. 20. A large lang nibbit staff.

473 1881.  Lucy B. Walford, Dick Netherby, in Gd. Words, 332/2. What wi’ her lang-nebbit English words I kenna gif my head or my heels is boon-most.

474 1893.  J. Watson, Conf. Poacher, 96. In *‘long-netting’ the net is dragged by a man on each side, a third wading after to lift it over the stakes.

475 1858.  O. W. Holmes, Aut. Breakf.-t. (1883), 40. They were garnered by stable-boys smoking *long-nines.

476 1659.  England’s Conf., 8. Their old hackney drudges of the *Long Parliament.

477 1678.  Luttrell, Brief Rel., 9 Nov. (1857), I. 3. Though this parliament [sc. that then in session] was called the long parliament, yet [etc.].

478 1827.  Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), II. x. 293. The long parliament, in the year 1641, had established, in its most essential parts, our existing constitution.

479 1852.  Mundy, Our Antipodes (1857), 181. No more *‘long-pig’ for him [the Maori]!

480 1901.  Westm. Gaz., 14 May, 3/1. As a matter of fact, ‘long-pig’ orgies are not common.

481 1679.  Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 169. *Long-Plain, The same that Joyners call a Joynter.

482 1842.  Gwilt, Encycl. Archit., § 2102. The long plane is … used when a piece of stuff is to be tried up very straight. It is longer and broader than the trying plane.

483 1897.  Times, 22 April, 12/3. The *‘long prayer’ … has been not only shortened but improved in quality.

484 1722.  De Foe, Col. Jack (1840), 19. He led me into the *long-room at the custom-house.

485 1759.  Compl. Lett.-writer (ed. 6), 228. I hear perpetually of Miss Evelyn’s praises at the long-room.

486 1771.  Smollett, Humph. Cl., To Miss Willis, 6 April. There is a long-room for breakfasting and dancing.

487 1819.  Gentl. Mag., 529. His regularity … extended from the Treasury to the Long-room.

488 1891.  F. W. Newman, Cdl. Newman, 2. Our boys, in large bands, enjoyed *Long Rope—with us a glorious game.

489 1680.  J. Aubrey, in Lett. Eminent Persons (1813), III. 439. He was drowned goeing to Plymouth by *long sea.

490 1731.  Gentl. Mag., I. 353. The Projector has already made one Trip to try Experiments, and was in his passage to London by Long-Sea to make a further Proof.

491 1861.  Canning, in Hare, Two Noble Lives (1893), III. 148. In a few weeks we shall be beginning to pack off our long-sea goods.

492 1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Long-service, a cable properly served to prevent chafing under particular use.

493 1874.  Punch, 4 June, 3/1. Lord Strathnairn charged the late Secretary for War with bad faith, in not enlisting men for short and long service together.

494 1897.  Westm. Gaz., 27 Sept., 3/2. Had the old long-service system continued in force.

495 1675.  Hobbes, Odyssey (1677), 237. Next the dogs he went, And in his hand shook a *longshaded spear.

496 1848.  Buckley, Iliad, 123. Brandishing his *long-shadowed spear.

497 1568.  Grafton, Chron., I. 96. The which [Saxons] came in three *long Shippes or Hulkes.

498 1799.  Naval Chron., II. 182. Built after the model of long Ships, or Men of War.

499 1886.  Corbett, Fall of Asgard, I. 268. A large vessel shot out from behind the point. It was a long-ship of twenty benches.

500 1851.  S. Judd, Margaret, I. iii. 11. Her dress was a blue-striped linen short-gown wrapper, or *long-short, a coarse yellow petticoat, and checked apron.

501 a. 1881.  O. W. Holmes, Old Vol. Life, ix. The first two in iambics, or short-longs, the last in trochaics or long-shorts.

502 1791.  Hist. Eur., in Ann. Reg., 185/1. What our sea men call a *long shot fire is the most destructive of any to the rigging of ships.

503 1814.  Scott, Lett. to Southey, 17 June. I should be tempted to take a long shot at him [Buonaparte] in his retreat to Elba.

504 1853.  Kane, Grinnell Exp., xl. (1856), 362. I ventured the ice, crawled on my belly, and reached long-shot distance.

505 1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Long-shot, a distant range. It is also used to express a long way; a far-fetched explanation; something incredible.

506 1873.  Young Gentl. Mag., July, 490. This did not, however, suit her long-shot tactics.

507 1844.  Hoblyn, Dict. Med., *Long sight,… the dysopia proximorum of Cullen.

508 1898.  Watts-Dunton, Aylwin (1900), 109/2. His companions had the usual long-sight of agriculturists.

509 1802.  Sporting Mag., XX. 15. Some have gone so far as to illuminate our discussions with tens instead of *long-sixes.

510 1864.  Trevelyan, Compet. Wallah (1866), 283. Peasants who had never tasted anything daintier than a rushlight now had their fill of long sixes.

511 1888.  Cassell’s Picturesque Austral., III. 83. Their drivers had completed their regulation half-score *‘long sleevers’ of ‘she-oak.’

512 1875.  Knight, Dict. Mech., *Long-slide, a slide-valve of such length as to govern the ports at both ends of the cylinder, and having a hollow back, which forms an eduction passage.

513 1796.  Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), II. 291. Grey ore of Manganese. Fragments somewhat *long splintery.

514 1551.  Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., II. lxxvi. If you make a *long square of the whole line A. C, and of that parte of it that lyeth betwene the circumference and the point,… that longe square shall be equall to the full square of the touche line A. B.

515 1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. ii. 60. A Londstone of a Parallelogram or long square figure.

516 1797.  Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), V. 18/2. Take two pieces of pasteboard … through which you must cut long squares.

517 1596.  Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. i. 82. No *Long-staffe sixpenny strikers.

518 a. 1661.  Holyday, Juvenal, 184. If thou dost carry but a little plate By night, the sword and long-staff thou fear’st straight.

519 1890.  Century Dict., *Long-staple, having a long fiber: a commercial term applied to cotton of a superior grade, also called sea-island cotton.

520 1882.  Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 187. (Embroidery), *Long stitch, also known as Point Passé, Passé, and Au Passé. It is a name given to Satin Stitch when worked across the material without any padding.

521 1899.  Baring-Gould, Bk. of West, I. x. 171. The menhirs, locally termed *longstones, or langstones.

522 1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Long-stroke, the order to a boat’s crew to stretch out and hang on her.

523 1884.  Imp. & Mach. Rev., 1 Dec., 6715/2. The long-stroke by which this pump is distinguished averages about one-third more.

524 1838.  Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., I. 394/2. The short stroke engines are propelling the boats, both sea and river class, faster than the long stroke ones.

525 1859.  Bartlett, Dict. Amer., *Long sugar, molasses, so called formerly in North Carolina from the ropiness of it. Ibid., *Long sweetening, molasses, so called formerly in New England.

526 1883.  Encycl. Amer., I. 199/2. In the far West, as Down East, sugar bears the name of long and short sweetening, according as it is the product of the cane … or of the maple tree.

527 1794.  Rigging & Seamanship, I. 156. *Long-tackle-block.

528 1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Long-tackles, those overhauled down for hoisting up topsails to be bent. Long-tackle blocks have two sheaves of different sizes placed one above the other, as in fiddle-blocks.

529 1653.  Urquhart, Rabelais, I. xxiii. They played at the ball, the *long-tennis [F. à la paume], and at the Piletrigone.

530 1844.  G. Dodd, Textile Manuf., i. 36. Some [yarn] is employed as warp or *long threads for coarse goods.

531 c. 1850.  Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 130. *Long timbers, those timbers afore and abaft the floors which form the floor and second futtocks in one.

532 1584.  Cogan, Haven Health (1636), 171. Fish of *long time salting … is unwholsome.

533 1877.  A. M. Sullivan, New Irel., I. xv. 371. Mr. John Cashel Hoey, a long-time colleague and friend.

534 1898.  Westm. Gaz., 21 April, 5/3. A long-time deacon of the Tabernacle and personal friend of the late Charles Spurgeon.

535 1840.  R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxviii. 96. His *‘long togs,’ the half-pay, his beaver hat, white linen shirts, and everything else.

536 1693.  Dryden, Juvenal, VI. 100. When now the *long vacation’s come The noisy hall and theatres grown dumb.

537 1825.  Thirlwall, Lett. (1881), 85. A most delightful fortnight which I spent last long vacation at Cambridge.

538 1848.  Clough (title), The Bothie of Toper-na-Fuosich, a long-vacation pastoral.

539 1900.  G. C. Brodrick, Mem. & Impress., 216. Such informal arrangements suffice to create a ‘Long Vacation Term.’

540 1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Long voyage, one in which the Atlantic Ocean is crossed.

541 1839.  Ure, Dict. Arts, 978. The fourth system of working coal, is called the long way, the *long wall, and the Shropshire method.

542 1851.  Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 149. The method of working coal, adopted in the Yorkshire mines generally, is that known as the long wall,… distinguished from the Newcastle, or pillar-and-stall method, by extracting at once all available coal.

543 1902.  Blackw. Mag., Jan., 50/1. I worked the coal ‘long-wall.’

544 c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 111. Þis is þe foorme of an heed weel propossiound,… þat he be *longe warpid, hauynge tofore & bihynde eminence.

545 1839.  *Long way [see long wall].

546 a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter cii. 8. Mercyful lord: *langwillid [L. Longanimis] & mykil merciful.

547 1694.  Motteux, Rabelais, IV. vi. (1737), 21. They are *long-Wool Sheep.

548 1825.  J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 383. Wool Manufacture. This well-known staple is … divided into two distinct classes, long wool, or worsted spinning; and short wool, or the spinning of woollen yarn.

549 1835.  Ure, Philos. Manuf., 103. Long-wool yarns are numbered on the same principle. Ibid., 125. Long wool, called also combing wool, differs as materially in a manufacturing point of view from short or clothing wool, as flax does from cotton. Ibid., 130. Long wool, called also carding wool, requires length and soundness of staple.

550 1886.  C. Scott, Sheep-Farming, 57. Practically the two long-wools are equal in weight as shearlings.

551 1642.  C. Vernon, Consid. Exch., 18, marg. The *long Writ called the Prerogative Writ, out of the Treasurers Remembrancers Office, under the Teste of the chiefe Baron.

552   b.  In names of animals, etc., as long-bill, a bird with a long bill, e.g., a snipe; long clam, (a) Mya arenaria (see CLAM sb.2 1 d); (b) the razor-clam, Ensis americana; long cripple dial., a slow-worm; also, a lizard; long dog dial., a greyhound; long-ear, long ears, an ass; also fig. of a human being; long fin Austral., a name for the fishes Caprodon schlegelii and Anthias longimanus, Günth. (Morris); † long-fish, ? a fish of the eel kind (cf. G. langfisch); long-horn, (a) one of a breed of long-horned cattle; (b) the long-eared owl, Otus vulgaris; long lugs Sc. = long ears; long-nose, a name for the GAR-FISH; long spur, a bird of the genus Calcarius (or Centrophanes); long-wing, a name for the swift; † long-worm, ? an adder or viper.

553 1884.  Times (weekly ed.), 3 Oct., 14/1. One thousand one hundred and fifty sounds a satisfactory bag of the *‘long-bills.’

554 1884.  Goode, etc., Nat. Hist. Useful Aquatic Anim., I. 707. The ‘Soft Clam,’ *‘Long Clam,’ or ‘Nanninose’ (Mya arenaria). Ibid. (1887), Fisheries U.S., II. 614. Under the name of ‘long clam,’ ‘knife-handle,’ and ‘razor-clam,’ they are occasionally seen in New York market.

555 1758.  W. Borlase, Nat. Hist. Cornw., 284. We have a kind of viper which we call the *Long-cripple: It is the slow-worm or deaf-adder of authors.

556 1864.  E. Cornw. Gloss., in Jrnl. R. Inst. Cornw., March, I. 17. Long-cripple, a lizard: in some parts applied to the snake.

557 1896.  Baring-Gould, Idylls, 223. He rins away from me … jist for all the world as if I were a long-cripple.

558 1847.  Halliwell, *Long dog, a greyhound.

559 1891.  T. Hardy, Tess (1900), 44/1. William turned, clinked off like a long-dog, and jumped safe over hedge.

560 1768–74.  Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 150. The beast … would sell for no more at a fair than his brother *Long-ear.

561 1845.  Browning, Lett. (1899), I. 16. This long-ears had to be ‘dear-Sir’d and obedient-servanted.’

562 1882.  J. E. Tenison-Woods, Fish N. S. Wales, 33 (Morris). The *long-fin, Anthias longimanus, Günth. … may be known by … the great length of the pectoral fins.

563 1598.  Florio, Licostomo, a kind of *longfish.

564 1834.  Youatt, Cattle, 188. The *long horns seem to have first appeared in Craven.

565 1856.  Yarrell, Brit. Birds, I. 131. Otus vulgaris, the Long-horn.

566 1879.  Jefferies, Wild Life in S. Co., 130. The cows in the field used to be longhorns, much more hardy.

567 a. 1748.  Ramsay, Condemned Ass, 64. Sae poor *lang lugs man pay the kane for a’.

568 1836.  Yarrell, Brit. Fishes, I. 391. The Garfish…, *Long-Nose.

569 1848.  C. A. Johns, Week at Lizard, 175. A long eel-shaped fish, the gur-fish, or long-nose.

570 1831.  A. Wilson & Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith., IV. 121. Emberiza Lapponica Wilson … Lapland *Longspur.

571 1893.  Coues, in Lewis & Clark’s Exped., I. 349, note. The black-breasted lark-bunting or longspur, Centrophanes (Rhynchophanes) maccowni.

572 1894.  R. B. Sharpe, Handbk. Birds Gt. Brit., I. 77. The Long-spurs, of which the Lapland Bunting is the type, are three in number.

573 1854.  Mary Howitt, Pictor. Cal. Seasons, 390. About the 12th of August the largest of the swallow tribe, the swift or *long-wing, disappears.

574 1648.  Gage, West Ind., xii. 51. Moules, Rats, *Long-wormes.

575   c.  In the names of plants or vegetable products, as † long-bean = KIDNEY-BEAN; † long ear, a name for a kind of barley; long-flax (see quot.); long-leek, the ordinary leek (Allium porrum); long-moss = LONG-BEARD 3; long-pod, a variety of broad bean which produces a very long pod; long purples, a local name for Orchis mascula, Lythrum Salicaria, and other plants.

576 1587.  Mascall, Govt. Cattle (1627), 11. Faciolia, called in … English kidney-beane, or *long beane.

577 1523.  Fitzherb., Husb., § 13. *Long-eare hath a flatte eare, halfe an inche brode, and foure inches and more of length.

578 1875.  Knight, Dict. Mech., *Long-flax, flax to be spun its natural length without cutting.

579 1867.  J. Hogg, Microsc., II. i. 357. The young flower-stalk of the *long-leek (Allium porrum).

580 1808.  T. Ashe, Trav. Amer., I. 126. *Long Moss, Tellandsia Usncoides.

581 1833.  Penny Cycl., I. 249/2. The long-moss region commences below 33° lat. The moss hangs in festoons from the trees.

582 1821.  W. Cobbett, Amer. Gardering, § 196. The best … is … the Windsor-Bean. The *Long-Pod is the next best.

583 1602.  Shaks., Ham., IV. vii. 170. There with fantasticke Garlands did she come, Of Crow-flowers, Nettles, Daysies, and *long Purples.

584 1821.  Clare, Vill. Minstr., II. 90. Gay long purple, with its tufty spike. Ibid., II. 210. (Gloss.), Long purples, purple loose-strife.

585 1830.  Tennyson, Dirge, v. Round thee blow … long purples of the dale.

586   d.  Cricket: † long ball, a ball hit to a distance; long field (off, on), the position of a fieldsman who stands at a distance behind the bowler, either to his left or right; also, one who fields in that position; long-hop, a ball bowled or thrown so that it makes a long flight after pitching; long off, on, short for long field off, on; long-stop, a fieldsman who stands behind the wicket-keeper to stop the balls that pass him; hence long-stop vb., to field as long-stop, whence long-stopping vbl. sb. Also long leg, long slip (see the sbs.).

587 1744.  J. Love, Cricket (1770), III. 3. Some [fieldsmen], at a Distance, for the *Long Ball wait.

588 1843.  *Long field [see long on below].

589 1862.  Lond. Soc., II. 115/2. Carpenter might have made more drives to the long field.

590 1850.  ‘Bat,’ Cricketer’s Man., 43. *Long Field Off.—This situation demands a person who can throw well. Long Field On is of a character with the ‘off.’

591 1880.  Times, 28 Sept., 11/5. Mr. Moule, long-field-off.

592 1837.  New Sporting Mag., XI. 198. The lengths necessary to be pitched at that slow pace will be as good as *long hops.

593 1867.  Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., 432. The ball should come skimming in with a long hop to the top of the bails. Ibid. (1864), 476. A drive to *long-off.

594 1901.  ‘Ian Maclaren,’ Yng. Barbarians, xv. 295. A miraculous catch which he made at long-off.

595 1843.  ‘A Wykhamist,’ Pract. Hints on Cricket, Frontisp. The *‘long on,’ or long field to the on-side, is for the most part done away with.

596 1797.  Colman, Hair at Law, II. ii. I’ll make you my *long-stop at cricket.

597 1884.  Lillywhite’s Cricket Ann., 103. Reliable long-stop and very smart in the long-field.

598 1860.  Baily’s Mag., I. 34. ‘Lord’s,’ where, in days of yore … Beagley … *long stopped. Ibid., 303. The *long stopping of Diver and Mortlock.

599 1871.  G. Meredith, H. Richmond, vi. We played at catch with the Dutch cheese, and afterwards bowled it for long-stopping.

600   B.  Quasi-sb. and sb.

601   I.  The neuter adj. used absol.

602   1.  In various phrases with preps.

603   † a.  At long: = ‘at length’; (a) after a long time, in the end; (b) in an extended manner, in many words, fully.

604 a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 3498. Bot lat vs leue him at longe & lende to oure hames.

605 1532.  More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 579/2. I shall purpose to treate of thys matter more at long.

606 1565.  T. Stapleton, Fortr. Faith, 139 b. It were … superfluous at longe to discusse.

607   b.  Before long: before a long time has elapsed, soon. So ere long, ERELONG.

608 1760–72.  H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), IV. 69. Perhaps we may meet ere long.

609 1813.  Southey, Nelson, II. 196. Let us hope that these islands may, ere long, be made free and independent.

610 1871.  Trollope, Ralph the Heir, xlii. 426. ‘Bye, bye,’ said Neefit, ‘I’ll be here again before long.’

611 1872.  Swinburne, Ess. & Stud. (1875), 28. The terror and ignorance which ere long were to impel them to the conception and perpetration of even greater crimes.

612 1892.  Bookman, Oct., 28/2. We expect from him before long a better novel than he has yet given us.

613   c.  By long and by last (? dial.): in the end.

614 1900.  H. C. Bailey, in Longm. Mag., Dec., 103. By long and by last we came to Veermut bridge.

615   d.  For long: † (a) long ago (obs.); (b) throughout a long period (occas. for long and long, for long together); also predicatively, destined or likely to continue long.

616 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 4507. For lang was said, and yeit sua bes, ‘Hert sun for-gettes þat ne ei seis.’

617 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Rich. III., 56. For long we have sought the furious bore, and now we have found him.

618 1729.  B. Lynde, Diary, 29 Dec. (1880), 35. Expecting the governor would adjourn for long the Gen’l Court.

619 1803.  Mary Charlton, Wife & Mistress, IV. 171. ‘Well, Lord, it mayn’t be for long,’ replied Dolly.

620 1839.  Spirit Metrop. Conserv. Press (1840), II. 535. No man … kept himself for long and long, at a fearful … speed, as did Lord Brougham.

621 1856.  F. E. Paget, Owlet of Owlst., 148. Her back aches … frightfully if she sits up for long together.

622 1874.  Ld. Houghton, in T. W. Reid, Life (1891), II. 300. Ripon’s conversion is one of the oddest news I have heard for long.

623 1895.  Mrs. H. Ward, Bessie Costrell, 121. The children … had been restless for long.

624   † e.  Of long: since a remote period; for a long time past. (Cf. OF 53.) Obs.

625 1583.  Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., IV. 24 b. The Castle of Antwerpe … had of long been a denne of murderers.

626 1591.  Spenser, M. Hubberd, 1325. The Lion … gan him avize … what had of long Become of him.

627 1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 1. The Turks haue of long most inhabited the lesser Asia.

628 1615.  W. Lawson, Country Housew. Gard. (1626), 39. Suckers of long doe not beare.

629 1625.  Bacon, Ess., Judicature (Arb.), 453. Penall Lawes, if they haue beene Sleepers of long.

630   † f.  On long: in length. Obs.

631 a. 1300.  Cursor M., 21664. O four corner þe arche was made, Als has þe cros on lang and brade.

632   † g.  Umbe long: after a long interval. Obs.

633 c. 888.  K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxix. § 2 (Sedgefield), 125. Ða andswarode he ymbe long and cwæð.

634 a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 518. Þes sondesmon, umbe long,… com, & brohte wið him fifti scolmeistres.

635   † h.  With the longest: for a very long time.

636 1636.  trans. Florus’s Hist., IV. ii. 273. When that part of his forces which was left behind … stayed with the longest [L. moram faceret] at Brundisium.

637   i.  At (the) longest: on the longest estimate.

638 1857.  Pusey, Lenten Serm., xii. (1883), 235. Short, at the longest, were the life of man.

639   2.  Without prep.: Much time. Now chiefly in to take long. † This long (used advb.): for this long time (obs.). That long (colloq.): that length of time.

640 c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, I. 262. Du sone, this lang quhar has thow beyne?

641 1565.  T. Stapleton, trans. Bede’s Hist. Ch. Eng., 31. Forsakyng that auncient religion whiche this longe both I and my people haue obserued.

642 1635.  J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Banish’d Virg., 102. Otherwise he had never … this long have deferr’d its discovery.

643 1898.  Engineering Mag., XVI. 67. It will take at least ten times that long to get a train ready for a return trip.

644 1901.  ‘A. Hope,’ Tristram of Blent, xxv. 336. He had been wondering how long they would take to think of the lady who now held the title and estates.

645 Mod.  Don’t take very long about it. I do not think it will take long to finish the work.

646   b.  as the predicate of an impersonal clause, (a) it is (was, will be, etc.) long before, since, to (something); it will be long first; ere it be long. † Also long to (used absol.) = ‘long first.’ † Also ellipt., though long first.

647 c. 1000[?].  in Sax. Leechd., III. 434. Næs lang to þy þæt his broþor þyses lænan lifes timan ʓeendode.

648 c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), i. 4. It es lang sen it fell oute of þe hand.

649 1485.  Caxton, Paris & V., 39. It shal not be longe to but that ye shal be hyely maryed.

650 1540–1.  Elyot, Image Gov., 7. There shall be or it bee longe, a more ample remembraunce.

651 1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 174. Leste the olde enemye of mankynde, would styre up warre … or ever it were longe.

652 c. 1592.  Marlowe, Massacre Paris, XX. 13. And tell him, ere it be long, I’ll visit him.

653 1606.  Rollock, 1 Thess. iii. 34. Byde a little while, it is not long to.

654 1616.  T. Mathews, Lett., in Ussher’s Lett. (1686), 36. God now at last, though long first, sending so good opportunity.

655 1631.  Weever, Anc. Funeral Mon., 223. As it was long before he could be perswaded to take a Prebend of Lincolne.

656 1670.  Lady Mary Bertie, in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 22. I hope now it will not be long before I see you at Exton.

657 1740.  trans. De Mouhy’s Fort. Country-Maid (1741), I. 47. It will not be long first.

658 1824.  Miss Ferrier, Inher., lxvi. She’ll bring him round to her way of thinking before it’s long.

659   3.  The long and the short of (it, etc.), less frequently the short and the long: the sum total, substance, upshot. Also, to make short of long: to make a long story short.

660 c. 1500.  Merch. & Child, in Hazlitt, Early Pop. Poetry, I. 135. Thys ys the schorte and longe.

661 1598.  Shaks., Merry W., II. i. 137. There’s the short and the long.

662 1620.  Shelton, Quix., II. xxxix. 254. The short and the long was this.

663 1642.  J. Eaton, Honey-c. Free Justif., 245. Whereof riseth such a necessity of beleeving … that Christ maketh this the short and long of all.

664 1690.  W. Walker, Idiomat. Anglo-Lat., 412. This is the long and the short of it.

665 1713.  Addison, Guardian, No. 108, ¶ 8. This is, sir, the long and the short of the matter.

666 1770.  Foote, Lame Lover, II. Wks. 1799, II. 80. And that, Mr. John, is the long and the short on’t.

667 1840.  Dickens, Old C. Shop, xxxv. The short and the long of it is, that [etc.].

668 1883.  R. W. Dixon, Mano, IV. vii. 160. There, to make short of long, was he way-laid By many knights at once.

669 1898.  Besant, Orange Girl, I. ix. The long and the short of it … is that you must pay me this money.

670   II.  As sb. (with a and plural).

671   4.  Mus. A long note; spec. in the early notation, a note equivalent to two or to three breves, according to the rhythm employed; also, the character by which it was denoted. † Long and short (see quot. 1597).

672 c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., xii. 414. It was a mery song; I dar say that he broght foure & twenty to a long.

673 1590.  Cokaine, Treat. Hunting, D iv b. Where the Foxe is earthed, blowe for the Terriers after this manner: One long and two short.

674 1594.  Barnfield, Sheph. Cont., iii. My Prick-Song’s alwayes full of Largues and Longs.

675 1597.  Morley, Introd. Mus., 78. Long and short is when we make two notes tied togither, and then another of the same kinde alone.

676 a. 1619.  Fotherby, Atheom., II. xii. § 1 (1622), 334. The Art of Musicke mixeth contrary sounds in her Songes: as Sharps, with flats; and briefes, with Longs.

677 1674.  Playford, Skill Mus., I. vii. 24. The Large contains eight Semibreves, the Long four.

678 1706.  A. Bedford, Temple Mus., xi. 227. When Musick was first invented, there were but Two Notes, viz. a Long, and a Breve.

679 1782.  Burney, Hist. Mus., II. iii. 184. The first consists of a succession of Longs and Breves.

680 1887.  Browning, Parleyings w. Cert. People, Wks. 1896, II. 730/1. Larges and Longs and Breves displacing quite Crotchet-and-quaver pertness.

681 1891.  W. Pole, Philos. Mus., 162. The breve being intended to be held about half the time of the long.

682   attrib.  1727–41.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Character, Long Rest.

683 1886.  W. S. Rockstro, Hist. Mus., iii. 35. Perfect Long Rest. Imperfect Long Rest.

684   5.  Prosody. A long syllable. Longs and shorts: quantitative (esp. Latin or Greek) verses or versification. Hence (nonce-use) long-and-short v., to make Greek or Latin verses.

685 a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Rich. III., 42. This poeticall schoolemayster corrector of breves and longes, caused Collyngborne to be abbreviate shorter by the hed.

686 1811.  Byron, Hints from Hor., 514. Whom public schools compel To ‘long and short’ before they’re taught to spell.

687 1851.  Carlyle, Sterling, I. iv. (1872), 29. Classicality,… greatly distinguishable from … death in longs and shorts.

688 1871.  M. Arnold, Friendship’s Garland, vi. 51. ‘I have seen some longs and shorts of Hittall’s,’ said I, ‘about the Calydonian Boar, which were not bad.’

689 1872.  Young Gentleman’s Mag., 23/1. As two shorts are supposed to equal one long, you may … put a dactyl for a spondee.

690   6.  Building. Longs and shorts: long and short blocks placed alternately in a vertical line; the style of masonry characterized by this arrangement. Also attrib., as in long-and-short work, masonry.

691 1845.  Petrie, Round Towers Irel., II. iii. 188. Long and short…. This masonry consists of alternate long and short blocks of ashlar, or hewn stone, bonding into the wall.

692 1863.  G. G. Scott, Westm. Abbey (ed. 2), 11. A small loop window … with long-and-short work in the jambs.

693 1884.  Earle, Ags. Lit., 54. Of Saxon construction a chief peculiarity is that which is called ‘longs and shorts.’ It occurs in coins of towers, in panelling work, and sometimes in door jambs.

694   7.  = Long Vacation (A. 18).

695 1885.  M. Pattison, Mem., 149. I began the Long in the belief that I was going in for my degree in November.

696 1888.  Echoes Oxford Mag. (1890), 111. If you dare to come up in the Long.

697 1891.  Daily News, 25 Oct., 2/3. [Oxford] had not yet awakened from the lethargy of the ‘Long.’

698   8.  pl. = long-clothes.

699 1841.  J. T. Hewlett, Parish Clerk, II. 63. A baby in longs.

700   9.  pl. Long whist. (See WHIST sb.) rare.

701 1841.  J. T. Hewlett, Parish Clerk, II. 29. Shilling points at longs … were the fashion.

702 1850.  Bohn’s Handbk. Games, 162.

703   10.  Comm. One who has purchased in expectation of future demand.

704 1881.  Chicago Times, 12 March. Under negotiations by the ‘longs’ … the market [i.e., for pork] fell back 5c.

705 1890.  Daily News, 2 Sept., 2/5. Wheat … fell off owing to longs unloading.

706 1897.  Westm. Gaz., 23 Aug., 5/1. ‘Longs’ circulating sensational accounts of damage done to the spring wheat crop.

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