Forms: 1 lengþ, lengþo, 3–7 lengthe, 4 leinth, lenkith, leynthe, lingþe, lyngþe, lynt(h, 4–5 lenkþe, 4, 6 linth, 4–6 lenght, lenthe, 4–8 lenth, 5 laynth, lennthe, 5–6 lenketh, 4– length. [OE. lęngðu fem. = Du. lengte, ON. lengd (Da. længde, Sw. längd):—OTeut. *laŋgiþâ, noun of quality f. *laŋgo- LONG a. Cf. LENGH.]
I. Quality of being long.
1. The linear magnitude of any thing as measured from end to end; the greatest of the three dimensions of a body or figure; longitudinal extent.
1154. O. E. Chron., an. 1122 (Laud MS.). Hi sæʓon on norð east fir micel & brad wið þone eorðe & weax on lengþe.
c. 1275. Lay., 21993. Hit his on lengþe four and twenti mundes.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8244. A-boute þat tre, A siluer cercle son naild he … to … knau þe wax o gret and length [other MSS. lenght, lenthe].
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 210. Þe hede of an elnȝerde þe large lenkþe hade.
a. 1400. Octouian, 407. The Frensch seyd he was of heghth Ten foot of length.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), ii. 6. Þe crosse … was of lenth viii. cubits.
1434. E. E. Wills (1882), 101. Another bordcloth … in lenkethe ij ȝerdes, & on halfe large.
1526. Tindale, Rev. xxi. 16. The lenght and the breth, and the heyght off hit, were equall.
1559. W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 25. I gather the lengthe of a degree to be the .360. parte of the heaven.
1570. Billingsley, Euclid, I. Def. ii. 2. A line … is conceaued to be drawne in length onely.
1653. Walton, Angler, viii. 162. The Carp … will grow to a very great bigness and length.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 893. A dark Illimitable Ocean … Without dimension, where length, breadth, and highth, And time and place are lost.
1774. M. Mackenzie, Maritime Surv., 11. Taking the Length of XY from a Scale of equal Parts, set it off from X to Y.
1777. Priestley, Philos. Necess., 177. The most exalted piece of matter possible must have length, breadth, and thickness.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xvi. 117. The full length of the rope between us.
† b. In length and (in) breadth (or brede), length and breadth, etc.: throughout the whole area (of a country), in all parts or directions.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 174. Ich habbe on brede and ek on lengþe Castel god on mine rise.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 38/138. Ne scholde no man so euene a þrovȝ in lengþe and in brede.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7911. Þat folc … robbede Wircestressire In lengþe & in brede.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2130. Þe folk … fild þe werld o lenth and brede. Ibid., 5027. Lauerd … þat … taght adam on lenth and wide.
13[?]. Sir Beues, 537 (MS. A). A fairer child neuer i ne siȝ, Neiþer a lingþe ne on brade.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3055. Deliver þi londes aȝen in lengþe & in brede.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 196. He hedde beo lord of that lond in lenkthe and in brede [Ibid. (1377), B. III. 202 A lengthe and a brede].
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xiii. (Marcus), 50. Of al þis world, lynth & bred.
a. 1400. Octouian, 548. Ten schypmen to londe yede To se the yle yn lengthe and brede.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 20. About the park thai set on breid and lenth … All likly men.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxii. 65. Unto the crose of breid and lenth, To gar his lymmis langar wax.
1535. Coverdale, Gen. xiii. 17. Arise, and go thorow the londe, in the length and bredth [1611 in the length of it, and in the breadth of it].
c. Phrases. To find, get, know the length of (a person’s) foot: see FOOT sb. 26 c. The length of one’s nose, tether: see NOSE, TETHER.
d. with a and pl. An instance of this.
1709. Berkeley, Th. Vision, § 61. Inches, feet, &c. are settled, stated lengths.
1838. Penny Cycl., XI. 153/1. Given, the area of a parallelogram, and the ratio of its sides; required, the lengths of those sides.
1853. Sir H. Douglas, Milit. Bridges (ed. 3), 229. Three lengths are given in the above table, for each mean girth.
2. Extent from beginning to end, e.g., of a period of time, a series or enumeration, a word, a speech or composition. † In length of time: in course of time.
a. 1240. Sawles Warde, in Cott. Hom., 261. Þe imeane blisse is seouenfald lengðe of lif.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 425. Þe lenþe of Noe lyf.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 444. To … leden þerinne our lif þe lengþe of our daies.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvi. (Nycholas), 882. God hym lent lynt & space hyme to repent.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccxxxii. 519. The lenght of the siege.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 363. The equinoctiall is, when the daie and night is both of one length.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 273. In length of Time produce the lab’ring Yoke.
1726. Leoni, Alberti’s Archit., I. 31/1. The Stone has in length of time closed up the Mouth of the Valley.
1860. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 34. A stay of any length there would not suit me at all.
Mod. The chapters of the book are very unequal in length.
b. An instance of this; a period or duration of time, esp. a long period.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 717. After such a length of rowling Years. Ibid., Æneid, XII. 1280. She drew a length of sighs [L. multa gemens].
1786. A. Gib, Sacred Contempl., I. iv. 52. There are consistent delays of it, for various lengths of time.
1824–8. Landor, Imag. Conv., Ser. I. Wks. 1846, I. 4. How delightful it is to see a friend after a length of absence.
1838. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm. (1839), IV. xx. 348. He had to bear a length of years in loneliness.
1877. L. Morris, Epic Hades, I. 8. The weary lengths of Time.
3. The quality or fact of being long; opposed to shortness. † Of length: long.
1388. Wyclif, Ps. xci. 16. I schal fille hym with the lengthe of daies [Coverdale & 1611 long(e life].
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., IV. i. 11. Is not my arme of length, That reacheth from the restfull English Court As farre as Callis. Ibid. (1606), Tr. & Cr., I. iii. 136. To end a tale of length.
1611. Bible, Job xii. 12. With the ancient is wisedome, and in length of dayes, vnderstanding.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvi. 139. Such Customes have their force, onely from Length of Time.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 778. Peace would have crownd With length of happy days the race of man.
1762. Ld. Kames, Elem. Crit. (1774), II. 164. Secondly, the length of an Hexameter line hath a majestic air.
1805. Wordsw., Waggoner, II. 146. ‘A bowl, a bowl of double measure,’ Cries Benjamin, ‘a draught of length!’
Mod. The length of the journey was the chief objection to it.
b. Prolixity, lengthiness. Now rare.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. i. 94. Come, come, in wooing Sorrow let’s be briefe, Since wedding it, there is such length in Griefe. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., IV. xiv. 46. I will o’re-take thee Cleopatra, and Weepe for my pardon. So it must be, for now All length is Torture.
1781. Cowper, Conversat., 87. The clash of arguments and jar of words … Decide no question with their tedious length.
1796. Burke, Let. Member Nat. Assembly, Wks. VI. 67. Excuse my length.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 456. There is no reason why brevity should be preferred to length.
4. A distance equal to the length of something specified or implied. At arm’s length: see ARM sb.1 2 b. Cable(’s) length: see CABLE sb. 2 c.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xxvi. 71. A litel hows whiche hath in euery side skars a mannes lengthe.
1474. Waterford Arch., in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 31. Within the laynth of a myle unto the citie.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 233. Nott two payre of boot lenthis distant frome the toune.
1602. Shaks., Ham., II. i. 88. He tooke me by the wrist, and held me hard; Then goes he to the length of all his arme.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XII. § 89. When they come within little more than a horse-length.
1686. J. Dunton, Lett. fr. New-Eng. (1867), 31. We could scarce see the Ship’s length before us.
1717. trans. Frezier’s Voy., 261. Adorn’d with Porticos of Timber Work, the Length of the Building.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1840), 19. I might … have gone the Length of a … Street.
1843. Macaulay, Lays Anc. Rome, Horatius, xli. Six spears lengths from the entrance Halted that deep array.
1851. Mayne Reid, Scald Hunt., xxxi. 241. They had got the mustang some fifty lengths of himself out on the prairie.
1885. Sir C. P. Butt, in Law Times Rep., LIII. 61/1. The look-out … saw … at a distance of two ship’s lengths, a red light on board the smack.
b. One’s length: the extent of one’s body or form from head to foot or end to end.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. (1590), 118 b. Laying all her faire length vnder one of the trees.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 429. Faintnesse constraineth me, To measure out my length on this cold bed.
1709. Pope, Ess. Crit., 357. A needless Alexandrine ends the song That, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 74. The roof, though moveable through all its length As the wind sways it, has yet well sufficed.
1821. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., IV. 567. The serpent that would clasp her with his length.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, V. 56. All her fair length upon the ground she lay.
1870. Ramsay, Remin., iv. (ed. 18), 81. I fell all my length.
c. Sport. The measure of a boat, a horse, etc., engaged in a race, taken as a unit in measuring the amount by which the race is won.
1664. Butler, Hud., II. III. 1190. Left danger, fears, and foes, behind, And beat, at least three lengths, the wind.
1700. Dryden, Cinyras & Myr., 38. Time glides along with undiscover’d haste, The Future but a Length behind the past.
1812. Sporting Mag., XXXIX. 186. This was a most excellent race, and only won by a length.
1834. Medwin, Angler in Wales, II. 116. Owen … was some lengths behind in the last hundred yards.
1887. O. W. Holmes, 100 Days Europe, i. 52. One [horse] slides by the other, half a length, a length, a length and a half.
1894. Times, 19 March, 12/2. The Oxford crew won by three and a half lengths.
5. With a demonstrative or other defining word: Distance. The length of: as far as. Now Sc.
c. 1450. Merlin, 161. Ye myght here the strokes half a myle of length.
a. 1550[?]. Mery Jest Mylner of Abyngton, 77, in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 103. The mylners house is nere, Not the length of a lande.
1578. Hunnis, in Par. Dainty Devices, 2. They be the lines that lead the length, How farre my race is for to runne.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., VIII. § 90. He [Essex] had marched to the length of Exciter.
1687. Lond. Gaz., No. 2251/4. Which we had scarce done when the other three Ships had got our length.
1726. Shelvocke, Voy. round World (1757), 73. We had found it very cold, before we came this length, but now we began to feel the extreme of it.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), IV. 1198. When you get that length, you are very carefully … to explore, such rivers … as may appear to be of considerable extent.
1870. Ramsay, Remin., v. (ed. 18), 111. The loan of a horse ‘the length’ of Highgate.
1886. K. Oliphant, New English, I. 295. In Scotland they say, ‘I will come your length.’
fig. 1753. Scots Mag., Jan., 8/2. That [treaty] never came any great length.
1837. Carlyle, Lett., 28 Aug., in Atlantic Monthly (1898), LXXXII. 305/1. You do not say that the disorder has got that length with you.
b. fig. in advb. phrases: The distance or extent to which one ‘goes’ (in a line of action, opinion, etc.); the degree of extremity to which something is ‘carried.’ Chiefly, to go (to) the length of, to go a (great, etc.) length, to go (all, etc.) lengths.
1697. Collier, Immor. Stage, i. (1730), 6. The Royal Leonora … runs a Strange Length in the History of Love.
1718. Hickes & Nelson, J. Kettlewell, III. lxvi. 351. Others who could not … go their lengths.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. x. (1880), 224. They had not come to that length.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XVIII. viii. I think you went lengths indeed.
1779. Hume, in H. Calderwood, Hume (1898), iii. 30. Your spirit of Controversy … carries you strange lengths.
1792. Washington, Lett., Writ. 1891, XII. 177. When matters get to such lengths, the natural inference is, that both sides have strained the cords beyond their bearing.
1844. Disraeli, Coningsby, VII. iv. He would go … any lengths for his party.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., V. vi. (1872), II. 104. The cunningest of men, able to lie to all lengths.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 404. They do not go the length of denying the pre-existence of ideas.
† 6. The extent of space within which it is possible to touch or act upon something; reach. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 6573. Er he be led out of lenght, & lost of your sight.
1608. Shaks., Per., I. i. 168. If I can get him within my Pistol’s length.
1628. Digby, Voy. Medit. (1868), 60. They could not open my shippes till they were within halfe the length of our ordinaunce.
7. Archery. The distance to which an arrow must be shot in order to hit the mark.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 106. Phi. Howe manye thynges are required to make a man euer more hyt the marke? Tox. Twoo. Phi. Whiche twoo? Tox. Shotinge streyght and kepynge of a lengthe. Ibid., 150. The greatest enemy of shootyng is the wynde and the wether, wherby true kepyng a lengthe is chefely hindred.
1801. T. Roberts, Eng. Bowman, 290. Length, the distance shot.
8. Pros. Quantity (of a sound or syllable). Also, long quantity (opposed to shortness).
1762. Ld. Kames, Elem. Crit. (1774), II. 10. The emotion raised by the length or shortness, the roughness or smoothness, of the sound. Ibid., 103. The different lengths of syllables, i.e. the difference of time taken in pronouncing.
1884. A. Gosset, Fr. Prosody, i. Some theorists forbid rhymes between syllables, whose difference of length is marked by a circumflex accent.
† 9. = LONGITUDE. Obs.
1581. W. Stafford, Exam. Compl., i. (1876), 24. Without knowledge of the latitude of the place by the Poale, and the length, by other starres.
10. Cricket. The proper distance for pitching a ball in bowling; that distance that constitutes a good pitch. Also = length ball.
1776. in C. C. Clarke, Nyren’s Cricketer’s Guide (1888), 14. Ye bowlers … measure each step, and be sure pitch a length.
1833. C. C. Clarke, ibid. 4. How to stop a ball dropped rather short of a length.
1850. ‘Bat,’ Cricketer’s Man., 41. Good lengths depend entirely on the pace.
1897. Daily News, 18 June, 2/6. Such a good length did the bowlers keep that during the first half-hour only 20 runs were made.
II. Concrete senses.
11. a. A long stretch or extent.
1595. Shaks., John, I. i. 105. Large lengths of seas and shores Betweene my father, and my mother lay. Ibid. (c. 1600), Sonn., xliv. To leape large lengths of miles.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 415. That length of Region, and large Tract of Ground.
1709. Pope, Ess. Crit., 222. From the bounded level of our mind Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind. Ibid. (1715–20), Iliad, II. 649. Down their broad shoulders falls a length of hair.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 252. Not distant far, a length of colonnade Invites us. Ibid., IV. 355. He brandishes his pliant length of whip.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, I. 3. With lengths of yellow ringlet, like a girl.
b. A piece of a certain or distinct length, esp. one cut off or separable from a larger piece.
1645. Rec. Dedham, Mass. (1892), III. 112. Samll Milles hath libertie to cut 100 lengthes of hoopes poles on the common.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, ii. ¶ 2. The Compositer may cut them into such Lengths as his Work requires. Ibid. (1703), Mech. Exerc., 247. Line Pins of Iron, with a length of Line on them about sixty feet in length.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Hill & Valley, iii. 37. Cut into lengths like twigs.
1851. Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 328. The structure is in separate lengths, each having an independent spring.
12. Theatr. slang. A portion of an actor’s part, consisting of forty-two lines.
1736. Fielding, Pasquin, I. Wks. 1882, X. 129. I have a part in both too; I wish any one else had them, for they are not seven lengths put together.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., xxiii. I’ve got a part of twelve lengths here, which I must be up in to-morrow night.
1865. Ld. Broughton in Edin. Rev., CXXXIII. 293. Kean said [c. 1815] that ‘Iago was three lengths longer than Othello.’ A length is forty-two lines.
13. Brewing. (See quot. 1830.)
1742. Lond. & Country Brewer, I. (ed. 4), 71. It is the common Length I made for that Purpose. Ibid. (1743), II. (ed. 2), 129. In making your Length short, and then making it longer with Small-Beer.
1830. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., I. 159. A … copper boiler,… sufficiently large to … boil each of the lengths drawn from the different mashings…. By the word lengths the brewer means the quantity of wort drawn off from a certain quantity of malt.
III. Phrases.
14. At length. a. To or in the full extent; fully, in full; without curtailment. Also at full, great, some, etc., length. † Rarely, at the length.
c. 1500. Sc. Poem Heraldry, 30, in Q. Eliz. Acad., 94. The … most populus, mortal were, wes at thebes, quhiche at linth I did write.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt., 157. Whan Arthur had red wel at length these letters.
1530. Baynton, in Palsgr., Introd. 12. Whiche thyng for substantives, he declareth some thyng at the length in his thyrde boke.
1567. Gude & Godlie Ball. (S.T.S.), 16. The Catechismus buke Declairis it at lenth.
1713. Steele, Englishman, No. 4. 28. The Fellow talks of Rogue and Rascal at full Length.
1727. Swift, Let. Eng. Tongue, Wks. 1755, II. I. 188. The words pronounced at length sounded faint and languid.
1827. Jarman, Powell’s Devises (ed. 3), II. 91. Lord Eldon, though he spoke at some length on the other question, did not advert to this.
1838. Trevelyan, in Life Macaulay (1876), II. vii. 33. Macaulay gives his impressions at greater length.
1882. J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., II. 138. Gardiner spoke at some length respecting the Holy Sacrament.
1886. Athenæum, 30 Oct., 559/3. While Australia is described at length, the development of Canada since the Peace is hardly mentioned.
b. After a long time; at or in the end; in the long run. † Also at the length.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss. (1812), II. xxiv. 64. They were all withdrawen into the castell, for they knewe well at length the towne wolde nat holde.
1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 1275. Euer at the length I make hym lese moche of theyr strength.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Mark i. 117. To come at the length to highest perfeccion.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 11. At length it brought them to a hollowe cave.
1611. Bible, Prov. xxix. 21. He that delicately bringeth vp his seruant from a child, shall haue him become his sonne at the length.
1631. Massinger, Emperor East, III. iv. This was the mark I aimed at; and I glory, At the length, you so conceive it.
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 506. Of thy birth at length, Announc’t by Gabriel, with the first I knew.
1753. Washington, Jrnl., Writ. 1889, I. 31. They … pressed for Admittance … which at Length was granted them.
1768. Foote, Devil on 2 Sticks, III. Wks. 1799, II. 271. Thou wilt find, at the length,… that the first will do us best service.
1864. Tennyson, En. Ard., 210. At length she spoke, ‘O Enoch! you are wise.’
† c. (a) At a distance; (b) in an extended line; tandem-fashion; (c) of a portrait = FULL LENGTH 1.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XV. 503. Now no more Our fight must stand at length [Gr. ἀποσταδόν], but close.
1628. Digby, Voy. Medit. (1868), 60. I had so fitted my selfe that gallies could not hurt mee att length.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., I. viii. 20. As he is good at hand, so is he good at length.
1715. Lond. Gaz., No. 5384/10. Drawing any Carriage with more than five Horses at Length.
1786. W. Herbert, Ames’ Typogr. Antiq., II. 1287. A copper-plate portrait of Chaucer, at length, with his pedigree and arms.
d. With the body fully extended, to the full extent of the body or the limbs. Now usually at (one’s) full length.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 19. When they sleep they lie at length.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, Descr. India (1864), 7. [They] pray vpon the earth, with their armes and legs at length out.
1667. Flavel, Saint Indeed (1754), 120. The … serpent … is never seen at his full length till dying.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, IV. vi. ¶ 4. We … discovered two men stretched at their length in the street.
1818. Byron, Juan, I. xc. He threw Himself at length.
1887. Bowen, Virg. Eclog., VI. 14. Laid at his length in a cavern, Silenus slumbering sound.
† 15. In length. a. Lengthwise. b. To the full length or extent. c. To a long distance; for a long time. Obs.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 45. If þat a senewe were woundid in lenkþe [Add. MS. in lengþe, L. per longum].
1580. Blundevil, Curing Horses Dis., lxxxvii. 37 b. The Horse will forsake his meat, and will stand stretching himselfe in length, and neuer couet to lie downe.
1581. Savile, Tacitus’ Agric. (1612), 198. Agricola … fearing, lest he should be assailed on the front and flanckes both at one instant, displaied his army in length [L. diductis ordinibus].
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 757. Their position runneth all in length.
1609. Bible (Douay), Num. ix. [x.] 5. But if the trumpeting sound in length and with a broken tune [Vulg. si autem prolixior atque concisus clangor increpuerit].
† 16. On length. a. At length, finally. b. To a distance, away. c. To the full extent of the body. Obs.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., III. xi. § 3. On lengðe mid him he beʓeat ealle þa eastlond.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 552. Wo so listneð deueles lore, on lengðe it sal him rewen sore.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1231. My lorde & his ledez ar on lenþe faren.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 7946. Þe lyght of þe son … May fleghe fra þe est tylle þe west on lenthe.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, II. xiv. (Skeat), l. 99. She streight her on length and rested a while.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 8179. Tristly may Troiell tote ouer the walle, And loke vpon lenght, er his loue come. Ibid., 13561. Fowle folowet the hert, Thurgh the londes on lenght.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxxvi. 379. Laie hym on lenthe on þis lande.
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 188, in Babees Bk. Fro stryf and bate draw þe on lengþe.
17. † To draw (out) in, into, at, or on length: to prolong, protract; rarely with personal obj. = to delay, prolong the stay of (obs.). Now only to draw out to a great, etc., length.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5806. He sal me drau wit lite and lenth [Gött. lith and lenkith, Trin. drawe forþ on lengþe].
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxix. (Placidas), 9. Men cesis … to spedful pennance to begyne, bot drawis It erare in to lynth, til of his body falȝeis strinth.
1483. Cath. Angl., 107/1. To Drawe on longe or on lenght, crastinare, prolongare, differre.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Ambages,—a circuite of woordes, a tale drawen in length.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. xii. (Arb.), 134. A sound is drawen at length either by the infirmitie of the toung [etc.].
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., III. ii. 23. I speak too long, but ’tis to peize the time … and to draw it out in length, To stay you from election.
1611. Bible, Ps. xxxvi. 10. O continue [marg. draw out at length] thy louing kindnesse vnto them.
1611. Cotgr., Alonger, to … draw out in length.
a. 1713. Ellwood, Autobiog. (1714), 30. I Prayed often, and drew out my Prayers to a great length.
1787. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 191. They will draw their negotiations into length.
1893. Temple Bar, XCIX. 68. Breakfast was drawn out to a most unusual length.
IV. 18. attrib. and Comb.: length ball Cricket, a ball pitched a ‘length’ (see sense 10); † length compass, ? a ship’s ‘log’ (see quot.); † length keeping Archery (see sense 7).
1833. C. C. Clarke, Nyren’s Cricketer’s Guide (1888), 19. The reaching in to stop a *length-ball will prevent it from rising or twisting.
1851. Pycroft, Cricket Field, vii. 99. All balls that can be bowled are reducible to ‘length balls’ and ‘not lengths.’
1627. Drumm. of Hawth., Lit. de Fabr. Machin. Militar., Wks. (1711), 235. [List of D.’s inventions] Instrumentum quoddam, quo itineris marini quantitas exacte supputatur, & longitudinis locorum differentiæ … Μηκοδείκτης, vulgo le *Length Compass appellatur.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 151. Howe muche it [the wynde] wyll alter his shoote, eyther in *lengthe kepynge, or els in streyght shotynge.
