- length
- noun1 distance from one end to the otherADJECTIVE▪ entire, full, maximum, whole▪
There is a maximum length of 2 500 words.
▪A long veranda runs the whole length of the building.
▪ great▪a ditch of great length and width
▪ medium▪ overall, total▪ averageVERB + LENGTH▪ estimate, measure▪He measured the length and width of the table.
▪ have▪The vehicle has an overall length of 12 feet.
▪ grow to, reach▪These fish can reach a length of over five feet.
▪ double in, increase in▪ cut sth to▪Measure the size of the window and cut the cloth to length.
▪ drive, extend, run, swim, travel, walk, etc.▪The fence runs the length of the footpath.
PREPOSITION▪ along the length of▪There were lights along the whole length of the street.
▪ in length▪The pipe was six feet in length.
PHRASES▪ at arm's length▪He has to hold newspapers at arm's length to focus on the print.
▪She kept him at arm's length until he stopped smoking. (figurative)
▪ double, twice, three times, half, etc. the length of sth▪The queen bee is twice the length of a worker bee.
2 amount of time that sth lastsADJECTIVE▪ considerable, great, inordinate▪ reasonableVERB + LENGTH▪ cut, reduce, shorten▪ increaseLENGTH + VERB▪ increase▪ decreasePREPOSITION▪ at length▪He told me at length about his new job.
▪ in length▪Each lesson was an hour in length.
PHRASES▪ length of time▪They complained about the inordinate length of time they had to wait.
3 length of a swimming poolVERB + LENGTH▪ do (esp. BrE), swim▪I did 20 lengths today.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
