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Definition of furlong
: a unit of distance equal to 220 yards (about 201 meters)
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furlong was our Word of the Day on 10/17/2012. Hear the podcast!
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Recent Examples of furlong from the Web
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Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Robby Albarado, Ten City covered six furlongs in 1:10.45 and paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite.
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The lone turf sprint on the stakes docket, the $75,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint, will see nine 3-year-olds and upward vie at five furlongs.
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Being asked to do a lot, and pedigree pundits question his ability to get 12 winning furlongs.
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Highlighting the card is a $40,000 maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up set for 51/2 furlongs on the turf course.
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Wings of Eagles, a 40-1 long shot, won the Epsom Derby in England, coming from behind to beat the favorites, Cliffs of Moher and Cracksman, in the final furlong.
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The result looked like going with the form book as Cliffs Of Moher just got the better of the two colts of unbeaten Frankel — 7-2 favorite Cracksman and Eminent — inside the final furlong.
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The Turf Sprint will be 5 furlongs (instead of 6 1/2) and the Filly & Mare Turf will be 1 1/8 miles (instead of 1 1/4).
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The race for three-year-old thoroughbreds, also held over dirt, is shorter than the blue riband Derby, at nine-and-a-half furlongs or 1 3/16 miles.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'furlong'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
furlong Has Old English Roots
Furlong is an English original and can be traced back to Old English "furlang," a combination of the noun "furh" ("furrow") and the adjective "lang" ("long"). Though now standardized as a length of 220 yards (or 1/8th of a mile), the furlong was originally defined less precisely as the length of a furrow in a cultivated field. This length was equal to the long side of an acre-an area originally defined as the amount of arable land that could be plowed by a yoke of oxen in a day, but later standardized as an area measuring 220 yards (one furlong) by 22 yards, and now defined as any area measuring 4,840 square yards. In contemporary usage, "furlong" is often encountered in references to horse racing.
Origin and Etymology of furlong
Middle English, from Old English furlang, from furh furrow + lang long
FURLONG Defined for English Language Learners
furlong
playDefinition of furlong for English Language Learners
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: a unit of distance equal to 220 yards (about 201.2 meters) or 1/8 of a mile
FURLONG Defined for Kids
furlong
playDefinition of furlong for Students
: a unit of length equal to 220 yards (about 201 meters)
Learn More about furlong
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See words that rhyme with furlong Spanish Central: Translation of furlong Nglish: Translation of furlong for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of furlong for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about furlong
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