long distanceadj.adv.n.
/ˌlɒŋ ˈdɪst(ə)ns/, U.S. /ˈˌlɔŋ ˈdɪst(ə)ns/, /ˈˌlɑŋ ˈdɪst(ə)ns/ A. adj.
attributive. (Frequently with hyphen.) Performed over, involving, or covering a relatively great distance; occurring between distant places.
a. Sport (chiefly Athletics). With reference to a race taking place over a long distance, spec. to a foot race longer than a sprint or a middle-distance event (now usually considered to be of 5000 metres or longer). Cf. middle distance n. 2.
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the world > space > distance > [adjective] > long-distance
long-range1809
long distance1826
long-journey1858
long haul1873
the world > space > distance > [adjective] > long-distance > extending over a long distance
far1393
long distance1826
long distance1849
society > communication > telecommunication > telegraphy or telephony > telephony > [adjective] > type of call
long distance1826
reverse charge1908
collect1912
person-to-person1919
toll-free1970
national1984
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > [adjective] > types of race
well-run1601
unpaced1636
all-age1806
close-run1813
level1826
long distance1826
handicapped1828
neck and neck1828
timed1839
point-to-point1875
side by side1881
middle distance1886
paced1899
two-horse1976
1826 Morning Chron. 10 Jan. Betting was 6 to 4 on West, a known long distance traveller.
1848 Lloyd's Weekly London Newspaper 2 Jan. 10/3 He is a surprising lad, and will yet, if he takes care of himself, astonish our long-distance runners.
1887 M. Shearman Athletics & Football (Badminton Libr. of Sports & Pastimes) 101 In training for long-distance races, in which category we should place those at a mile and upwards, [etc.].
1897 Outing 30 346/1 There are long-distance riders, too, galore in the N.Y.A.C. and not a few centurions.
1911 Encycl. Brit. XXIII. 854/1 An element unknown to sprinting enters into middle- and long-distance runs, namely that of pace-making.
1946 Life 25 Feb. 75/2 The best long-distance swimmer in the U.S. is a 15-year old schoolboy.
1961 L. van der Post Heart of Hunter i. i. 25 The men sat with their heads bowed over arms clasped round their knees like long-distance runners from the race of their lives.
2012 Guardian (Nexis) 13 Aug. 7 Mo Farah wrote his name in the history books by becoming the first British man to win a long distance gold since 1908.
b. gen.
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the world > space > distance > [adjective] > long-distance > extending over a long distance
far1393
long distance1826
long distance1849
1849 Times 19 Sept. 6/3 From Bradshaw, it is impossible to make out the long distance fares, such as from Edinburgh to Derby.
1886 Kane (Pa.) Leader 7 Oct. 2/2 He says the English railways are improving all the time... No toilets are provided, which make long distance traveling very injurious to the health.
1893 Notes & Queries 27 May 413/1 As she grew older she had splendid long-distance eyesight.
1919 H. Trenchard in London Gaz. 1 Jan. 136/2 Ceiling was of more importance than speed for long-distance day bombing work.
1935 Discovery Dec. 352/1 Long-distance flight.
1968 National Fisherman Aug. 15-A/3 Formosa and South Korea started long-distance tuna fishing later than Japan.
2006 Surface No. 62. 112 The most frustrating part of a long distance relationship is usually the absence of physical contact.
c. With reference to telephony and telegraphy. Now chiefly historical.After automatic telephone exchanges were first introduced, long-distance calls were those where one had to ask an operator to make the connection (in the United Kingdom more commonly called trunk calls), as distinct from local calls for which the subscriber could dial directly.
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1870 Economist 22 Jan. 97/2 The quantity of long-distance telegraphing must be very limited.
1884 Whitaker's Almanack 385/1 In America some remarkable trials of long distance telephoning have taken place.
1886 Sci. Amer. 2 Oct. 208/2 There is a popular belief that the long distance telephone is crowding the telegraph to the wall.
1921 W. Aitken Automatic Telephone Syst. I. 4 The lines between exchanges in this country [sc. Britain], and for the use of which an extra charge is made.., are known as trunks. For these the American terms toll line or long-distance line is used.
1925 W. J. Bryan Mem. 487 After the meal he made several long distance telephone calls.
1935 G. Greene Eng. made Me ii. 47 Put through any long-distance calls.
1975 J. Rathbone Kill Cure ii. i. 53 A long distance call from Ankara to Istanbul involved time and trouble.
1986 New Yorker 30 June 92 (advt.) Long distance operators..give credit for misdialed long distance numbers.
2005 Wired Oct. 21/3 (advt.) Using VoIP, you can get unlimited long distance calling plans that start as low as $19.95 a month.
2013 S. Arapostathis & G. Gooday Patently Contestable iv. 106 Challenges of long-distance telephony preoccupied electricians in the 1890s and 1900s, just as long-distance telegraphy had the previous generation.
B. adv.
1. Between distant places.
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1850 W. B. Adams Road Progress 49 Cambridge Engine... Tank under carriage to run long distance.
1919 Des Moines (Iowa) News 16 June 1/8 I believe the best way for flying long distance under conditions we encountered is to nurse the engines.
1979 Past & Present 83 84 A poor person wishing to travel long distance probably faced considerable difficulty in securing a certificate from his home parish and getting it accepted by the overseers at his destination.
1988 Guardian (Nexis) 31 Aug. Mr Jones..grabbed a cheese sandwich and drove long distance to a meeting.
2000 Truck & Driver Nov. 15/4 Those travelling long distance should check out vans with common-rail diesels which combine good torque with decent fuel consumption figures.
2. By long-distance telephone, by a long-distance call. Also more widely: at a distance, remotely.
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the world > relative properties > relationship > [adverb] > intimately or closely > remotely or distantly
remotely1598
eminously1657
distantly1682
long distance1905
1905 Electr. Rev. 17 June 993/2 Among the towns which can be reached without calling long-distance will be Hampton.
1952 Mich. Alumnus 19 Jan. 235/3 The only absent member, Charles Larsen, of Ada, Minnesota, called long distance from his home to participate in the discussions.
1969 ‘A. Glyn’ Dragon Variation v. 147 He went straight to the telephone and called New York long-distance.
1988 Mortgage Mag. May 47/3 You can still sell your house long distance..with the help of the computerized National Homes Network.
1993 N.Y. Times 7 Nov. iii. 8/1 Customers of Working Assets long distance give away 1 percent of each monthly bill.
2013 B. Fagan et al. Fodor's Los Cabos with Todos Santos & La Paz (ed. 3) viii. 221/2 ATSLT, MCI, and Sprint access codes make calling long-distance relatively convenient.
C. n.
A long-distance telephone call or connection; long-distance telephony.In quot. 1892, denoting a transmitting apparatus.
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society > communication > telecommunication > telegraphy or telephony > telephony > [adverb] > type of call
long distance1902
collect2012
society > communication > telecommunication > telegraphy or telephony > telephony > [noun] > call or message > types of
personal call1843
local call1882
ringback1895
long distance1902
private call1907
trunk-call1910
toll call1912
callback1914
overflow1924
picture message1929
alarm call1966
text message1977
text1990
1892 J. Poole Pract. Telephone Handbk. v. 81 Thornberry's Long-Distance.—This is the one used most extensively for long-distance work in America.]
1902 Amer. Telephone Jrnl. 26 July 52/2 He signals his operator and she says: ‘What number, Haymarket?’ ‘I want long distance’. ‘Where do you wish to talk?’ ‘Why, long distance, I said!—Well, then, I want to talk to New York..’. When our friend got to the words ‘New York’ his operator started the process of connecting his line to the proper operator for New York calls. So that in a little while Mr. Hayseed hears another operator say: ‘This is long distance’.
1905 B. Tarkington In Arena 128 I had it by the long distance an hour ago, from your own home.
1920 P. G. Wodehouse Jill the Reckless xx. 362 Calling Izzy on the long distance.
1944 Pop. Mech. Sept. 9/1 The peak days for phone use are Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Mother's Day... The greatest pinch has come in long distance.
1992 S. Birdsell Chrome Suite i. iv. 102 Go and get your mother for me. Tout de suite. This is long distance, you know.
2001 Kiplinger's Personal Finance July 109/1 Anyone with a decent PC setup, an Internet service provider and a tolerance for sometimes spotty call quality could dial free..and save on long distance.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.adv.n.1826