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long 1 (lông, lŏng) Share: Tweet adj. long·er, long·est 1. a. Extending or traveling a relatively great distance. b. Having relatively great height; tall. c. Having the greater length of two or the greatest length of several: the long edge of the door. 2. Of relatively great duration: a long time. 3. Of a specified linear extent or duration: a mile long; an hour long. 4. Made up of many members or items: a long shopping list. 5. a. Extending beyond an average or standard: a long game. b. Extending or landing beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal: Her first serve was long. 6. Tediously protracted; lengthy: a long speech. 7. Concerned with distant issues; far-reaching: took a long view of the geopolitical issues. 8. Involving substantial chance; risky: long odds. 9. Having an abundance or excess of: "politicians whose résumés are long on competence" (Margaret Garrard Warner). 10. Having a holding of a commodity or security in expectation of a rise in price: long on soybeans. 11. a. Linguistics Having a comparatively great duration. Used of a vowel or consonant. b. Grammar Relating to or being the English speech sounds (ā, ē, ī, ō, ) that are tense vowels or diphthongs. 12. Being of relatively great duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody. adv. longer, longest 1. During or for an extended period of time: The promotion was long due. 2. At or to a considerable distance; far: She walked long past the end of the trail. 3. Beyond a given boundary, limit, or goal: hit the return long. 4. For or throughout a specified period: They talked all night long. 5. At a point of time distant from that referred to: That event took place long before we were born. 6. Into or in a long position, as of a commodity market. n. 1. A long time: This won't take long. 2. Linguistics A long syllable, vowel, or consonant. 3. One who acquires holdings in a security or commodity in expectation of a rise in price. 4. a. A garment size for a tall person. b. longs Trousers extending to the feet or ankles. Idioms: any longer For more time: can't wait any longer. before long Soon. long ago 1. At a time or during a period well before the present: I read that book long ago. 2. A time well before the present: heroes of long ago. long in the tooth Growing old. no longer Not now as formerly: He no longer smokes. not long for Unlikely to remain for much more time in: not long for this world. the long and the short of it The substance or gist: You can look on the front page of the paper for the long and the short of it. [Middle English, from Old English lang; see del-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

long 2 (lông, lŏng) Share: Tweet intr.v. longed, long·ing, longs To have an earnest, heartfelt desire, especially for something beyond reach. [Middle English longen, from Old English langian; see del-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

long. Share: Tweet abbr. longitude

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Long (lông, lŏng), Huey Pierce Known as "the Kingfish." 1893-1935. Share: Tweet American politician. As a populist but dictatorial governor of Louisiana (1928-1932) he instituted major public works legislation, and as a US Senator (1932-1935) he proposed a radical program of income redistribution.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

# Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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