house longhorn beetle see longhorn under long¹

houseˈmaid noun

A maid employed to keep a house clean, etc

housemaid's knee noun

An inflammation of the sac between the kneecap and the skin, to which those whose work involves frequent kneeling are especially liable

houseˈman noun

A house officer (qv below)

house martin noun

A kind of black-and-white swallow (Delichon urbica) with a slightly forked tail, often building its nest on a house wall

houseˈmaster or houseˈmistress noun

(in schools) the male or female head of a (boarding-)house, esp in connection with a public school

houseˈ-mate noun

One person sharing a house with another

houseˈ-mother noun

1. The mother of a family, the female head of a family
2. A woman in charge of children in an institution

house mouse noun

A brownish-grey mouse (Mus musculus) that is a pest in human houses

house music noun

(also with cap) a type of electronically produced dance music with a strong 4–4 beat, often incorporating edited fragments of other recordings

house of call noun

1. A house where the journeymen of a particular trade call when out of work
2. A house that one often visits

house of cards noun

A situation, etc that is as unstable as a pile of playing cards

House of Commons see under common

house of correction noun

A jail

house officer noun

A recent graduate in medicine holding a junior resident post in a hospital

house of God, house of prayer or house of worship noun

A place of worship

house of ill fame or house of ill repute noun

A brothel

House of Keys see under Keys

House of Lords see under lord

House of Peers see under peer¹

House of Representatives see under represent

houseˈparent noun

A man or woman in charge of children in an institution

house party noun

A company of guests spending some days in a private house, esp one in the country

house plant noun

A plant that can be grown indoors as decoration

houseˈ-proud adjective

Taking a pride (often an excessive and fussy pride) in the condition of one's house

houseˈroom noun

Room or place in a house (also figurative)

houseˈ-sit intransitive verb

houseˈ-sitting noun

Looking after a house by living in it while the owner is away, on holiday, etc

house sparrow see under sparrow

houseˈ-steward noun

A steward who manages the household affairs of a great family

house style noun

The particular forms of type, layout, presentation, etc preferred by a publisher or other business

house surgeon noun

A resident surgeon in a hospital (also house physician)

house-tax see house-duty above.

houseˈ-to-houseˈ adjective

Performed or conducted by calling at house after house

houseˈtop noun

The top or roof of a house

houseˈ-train transitive verb

houseˈ-trained adjective

1. (of animals) taught to urinate and defecate outdoors, or in a place provided for the purpose
2. (of human beings) clean and well-mannered (facetious)

houseˈ-warming noun

A party given after moving into a new house

housewife /howsˈwīf, formerly huzˈif/ noun

1. The mistress and manager of a house
2. A married woman who looks after the house and family and does not have a paid job
3. /huzˈif/ a pocket sewing-outfit

houseˈwifely adjective

housewifery /howsˈwif-ri, -wīf-ri or huzˈif-ri/ noun

houseˈwifeship or (Scot) houseˈwifeskep noun

houseˈwork noun

Domestic work

houseˈy-houseˈy noun

A game in which numbers are drawn at random and marked off on players' boards until one is clear (now usu called bingo)

housing association noun

A non-profit-making organization that owns, maintains and lets houses at reasonable rents

housing estate noun

A planned residential area, esp one built by a local authority

housing joint noun

A joint where the end of one board fits into a groove cut across another board

housing scheme noun

1. A plan for the designing, building and provision of houses, esp by a local authority
2. Sometimes applied to an area coming under such a plan

bring the house down

To evoke very loud applause in a place of entertainment

full house see under full¹

House or Council of States

The upper house of the Indian parliament

House of the People

The lower house of the Indian parliament

Inner House

The higher branch of the Court of Session, its jurisdiction chiefly appellate (Outer House the lower branch of the Court of Session)

keep a good house

To keep up a plentifully supplied table

keep house

To maintain or manage an establishment

keep open house

To give entertainment to all comers

keep the house

1. To remain indoors
2. To take charge of the house or be on watch for the time being
3. To be confined to the house

like a house on fire (or afire)

1. With astonishing rapidity
2. Very well or successfully

on the house

1. (of drinks) at the publican's expense
2. Free, with no charge

put or set one's house in order

To settle one's affairs

set up house

To start a domestic life of one's own

the Household

The royal domestic establishment

long¹ /long/

adjective (longer /longˈgər/, obsolete lengˈer; longest /longˈgist/, obsolete lengˈest)

1. Not short
2. Of a specified (or to be specified) length
3. Extended in space in the direction of greatest extension
4. Far-extending
5. Extended in time
6. Of extended continuance
7. Taking a considerable time to utter or do
8. Distant in time (rare)
9. Of distant date
10. Requiring much time in utterance or performance
11. (of a speech sound) of extended duration (phonetics)
12. (of a syllable) loosely, accented
13. (of a vowel) loosely, in a long syllable
14. (of a dress, etc) coming down to the ankles, full-length
15. (of the memory) retentive
16. (of a word) abstruse or grandiose
17. Numerically extensive
18. (of eg a suit of cards) of more than average number
19. Exceeding the standard value, as in long dozen, long hundred
20. Having a large holding in a commodity or security, in expectation of a rise in prices (finance)
21. (of a chance) remote
22. Tedious

noun

1. A long time
2. A long syllable (prosody)
3. A long signal in Morse code
4. The long summer university vacation (informal)
5. An obsolete note equal to two (in ‘perfect’ time three) breves (also longa; music)
6. (in pl) long trousers
7. (in pl) long-dated securities

adverb (compar and superl as for adjective)

1. For, during, or by, a great extent of time
2. Throughout the whole time
3. Far in space (rare)

combining form

Denoting eg of a specified length (as year-long, mile-long)

intransitive verb

To yearn (with for)

longˈa noun (music)

A long

longˈing noun

An eager desire, craving

adjective

Yearning

longˈingly adverb

longish /longˈish or -gish/ adjective

longˈly adverb (Shakespeare)

Long

longˈness noun (rare)

longˈsome adjective (archaic and dialect)

Long and tedious

longˈways or (N American) longˈwise adverb

Lengthways

longˈ-agoˈ adjective

Of the far past

noun

The far past

longˈ-and-shortˈ work see longs and shorts below.

long arm noun

Far-reaching power

longˈboard noun

A surfboard, skateboard, etc of greater than normal length

longˈboat noun

1. The largest and strongest boat of a ship
2. A longship

longˈbow noun

A bow drawn by hand as distinct from the crossbow

longˈ-breathed (or /-brethtˈ/) adjective

Able to continue violent exercise of the lungs for a long time

longcase clock noun

A grandfather clock

longˈ-chain adjective (chem)

Having a long chain of atoms in the molecule

longˈcloth noun

A cotton made in long pieces

longˈ-clothes or (obsolete) longˈ-coats plural noun

Long garments for a baby

long corner noun

(in hockey) a free stroke taken from the corner of the goal line

longˈ-daˈted adjective

Of securities, due for redemption in more than fifteen years

long-day plant noun

A plant that will only flower after being exposed to conditions of long days and short nights

longˈ-descendˈed adjective

Of ancient lineage

longˈ-distˈance adjective

1. Going or extending to or over a long distance or time
2. (of a chance) remote

adverb

Over a long distance

long division noun (mathematics)

Division in which the working is shown in full

long dozen noun

Thirteen

longˈ-drawn-outˈ adjective

1. Prolonged
2. Unduly protracted

long drink noun

A large thirst-quenching drink (sometimes alcoholic) in a tall glass

longˈ-eared adjective

With long ears or ear-like feather-tufts

long face noun

A dismal expression

longˈ-faced adjective

Dismal-looking

long field noun (cricket)

A fielder or position near the boundary on the bowler's side, long off or long on

longˈ-firm noun

A company of swindlers who obtain goods on pretence of being established in business, and then decamp without payment

longˈ-hair noun

1. A long-haired animal or person
2. A highbrow (also adjective)

longˈ-haired adjective

1. Having long hair or fur
2. Unconventional, hippy
3. Highbrow

longˈhand noun

Ordinary writing as distinct from shorthand

long haul noun

1. A journey over a great distance
2. Any activity requiring lengthy effort (figurative)

longˈ-haul adjective

longˈ-head noun

A dolichocephal

longˈ-headed adjective

1. Dolichocephalous
2. Shrewd
3. Sagacious

longˈ-headˈedness noun

long home noun

The grave

long hop noun (cricket)

A short-pitched, high-bouncing, ball that is easy to hit

longˈhorn noun

1. An animal belonging to a breed of cattle with long horns
2. A longhorn beetle with long antennae (house longhorn beetle, a beetle whose larvae are very destructive to house timbers)
3. A long-eared owl

longˈhouse noun

1. A long communal house, eg in SE Asia or among certain Native American peoples, esp the Iroquois
2. A large oblong hall or dwelling built by the Vikings (archaeology)

long hundred see under hundred

long iron noun (golf)

An iron club used to play long-range shots

long johns plural noun

Long underpants

long jump noun

An athletic contest in which competitors jump as far as possible along the ground from a running start

long jumper noun

long jumping noun

longˈleaf pine noun

A N American pine tree (Pinus palustris)

long leg noun (cricket)

A fielder, or a fielding position, on the boundary behind the batsman on the legside

longˈ-legged adjective

Having long legs

longˈ-legs noun

A cranefly

long lens noun

A telephoto lens

longˈ-life adjective

(of foodstuffs) treated so as to prolong freshness

longˈ-line noun

A long fishing-line with many hooks attached

adjective

(of clothing) long or lengthened in shape, as of a brassière or top extending over the ribcage

longˈ-liner noun

A fishing vessel that uses long-lines

longˈ-lining noun

The practice of fishing with long-lines

longˈlist noun

A preliminary list from which a shortlist is subsequently selected

transitive verb

To include in a longlist

longˈ-lived /-livdˈ or -līvdˈ/ adjective

Having a long life

long mark noun

A macron

long measure noun

1. Lineal measure
2. (also long metre) quatrains of eight-syllable lines

long moss noun

A tropical American rootless epiphyte (Tillandsia usneoides) of the pineapple family, resembling bunches of hair

longˈ-nineˈ noun (obsolete US)

A cheap cigar

long odds plural noun

In betting, a remote chance, unfavourable odds in terms of risk, favourable in terms of potential gain

long off noun (cricket)

A fielder, or a fielding position, on the boundary behind the bowler on the offside

long-oil see oil length under oil

long on noun (cricket)

A fielder, or a fielding position, on the boundary behind the bowler on the onside

long paddock noun (Aust)

The grass verge of a road, sometimes used for grazing animals on

long-persistence screen noun

A cathode-ray tube coated with long afterglow (up to several seconds) phosphor

long pig noun (old)

Human flesh as food for cannibals

longˈ-playing adjective

Of a gramophone record, giving length in reproduction because of the extremely fine groove and slow rotation

longˈprimˈer noun (printing)

A size of type (about 10-point) intermediate between small pica and bourgeois

longˈ-purˈples noun

1. The early purple orchis
2. Purple loosestrife

long QT syndrome noun (medicine)

A hereditary disorder affecting the electrical rhythm of the heart (abbrev LQTS)

longˈ-range adjective

1. (of weapons) long in range, designed to reach remote targets
2. (of aircraft, etc) covering long distances without having to refuel
3. (of a forecast) extending well into the future

long robe see under robe¹

longˈ-runˈning adjective

Continuing over a long period

longs and shorts plural noun

1. Greek or Latin verses
2. (also long-and-short work) masonry of alternate vertical and horizontal blocks, as in quoins and jambs

long sheep noun

A long-woolled sheep

longˈship noun (historical)

A distinctive type of long vessel built by the Vikings

long shot noun

1. (a bet, entry, venture, etc with) a remote chance of success
2. A shot taken at a distance from the object filmed

longˈ-sightˈed adjective

1. Able to see far but not close at hand
2. Hypermetropic
3. Presbyopic
4. Having foresight
5. Sagacious

longˈ-sightˈedly adverb

longˈ-sightˈedness noun

longˈ-sixˈes plural noun (archaic)

Candles weighing six to a pound

longˈ-spun adjective

Long-drawn-out, tedious

longˈspur noun

Any bunting of the genera Calcarius and Rhyncophanes with a long claw on the hind toe

longˈ-standˈing adjective

Of long existence or continuance

longˈ-staˈple adjective

Having a long fibre

longˈ-stay adjective

1. Of eg patients in a hospital, staying permanently or semi-permanently
2. (of a car park) allowing patrons to leave their cars for days or weeks rather than hours

long stop noun

1. A fielder, or a fielding position (now largely disused), directly behind the wicket to stop balls missed by the wicketkeeper (cricket)
2. A person or thing that acts as a final safeguard or check (figurative)

longˈ-stop intransitive verb

To field as long stop

longˈ-suffˈering adjective

Enduring long and patiently

noun

Long endurance or patience

longˈ-suffˈeringly adverb

long suit noun

1. The suit with most cards in a player's hand
2. A particular talent, good quality, or advantage that one has

long tail noun (commerce)

The phenomenon by which a large number of less popular products can generate more revenue than a small number of highly successful ones

longˈ-tail noun

1. An animal, esp a dog, with an uncut tail (also adjective)
2. A greyhound

longˈ-term adjective

1. Extending over a long time
2. (of a policy) concerned with time ahead as distinct from the immediate present

longˈ-time adjective

Enduring for a long time

long-togs, long Tom, long ton see under tog¹, tom¹ and ton¹ respectively.

longˈ-tongued adjective

1. Having a long tongue
2. Talkative, babbling

longˈ-track (skating or) speedskating noun

Speedskating in which contestants race around a 400-metre track, usu in pairs against the clock

long vacation noun

A long holiday during the summer, when schools, etc are closed

long view noun

The taking into consideration of events, etc in the distant future

longˈ-visˈaged adjective

1. Long-faced
2. With a rueful countenance

longˈ-waistˈed adjective

1. Of a garment, having a deep or dropped waist
2. (of a person) long from the armpits to the hips

longˈwall noun

A long working face in a coalmine (longwall system or working a mining technique in which a seam is exposed along its length then removed, layer by layer)

longˈ-wave adjective (radio)

Of, or using, wavelengths over 1000 metres

longwearˈing adjective

Of clothes, that may be worn for a long time without wearing out, hard-wearing

long whist see under whist²

longˈ-windˈed adjective

1. Long-breathed
2. Tediously wordy and circumlocutory

longˈ-windˈedly adverb

longˈ-windˈedness noun

a long figure (slang)

A high price or rate

a long purse

Abundance of money

as long as

Provided only that

before long or (poetic or facetious) ere long

Soon

draw the long bow see under bow²

go long (finance)

To acquire more holdings in commodities or securities in expectation of a rise in prices

in the long run see under run

long on

Well supplied with

long since

A long time ago

make a long arm (informal)

To help oneself freely at table

make a long nose

To cock a snook or put a thumb to the nose as a vulgar gesture

no longer

Not now as formerly

not by a long shot

Not by any means

not long for this world

Near death

so long (informal)

Goodbye (poss from Ar salaam peace, used as a word of farewell)

so long as

Provided only that

the long and the short (of it) or (esp Shakespeare) the short and the long (of it)

The sum of the matter in a few words