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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It is joined by the Nellie Mae Cox at 1 mile and M. Tyson Gilpin at 5½ furlongs, each for fillies and mares, and the 5½-furlong White Oak Farm.
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In 2015, American Pharoah was able to settle in on a relaxed lead, running moderate fractions for the first half-mile (48.83 seconds) and 6 furlongs (1:13.41) that left him plenty in reserve for Belmont’s long stretch run.
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Four weeks later the 7-year-old gelding will break new ground again in his latest engagement, stretching out an additional 2 furlongs for the first time in Saturday's $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson at Laurel Park .
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Owning, making his first start, won the 5 ½ furlong race by 2 ½ lengths in a small field of five.
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In the fourth, a $33,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies, Emcee Stable, Matt Strzepka and Brian McKenzie's Margie is Livid ($7.60) was a front-running neck winner in 1:02.80 for 5½ furlongs.
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Justify galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.60 and seven in 1:27.20 with about 100 spectators watching on the front stretch and just as many on the backside.
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One race later, Carrasco finished fourth aboard Another Broad for trainer Mike Trombetta in a $33,000 waiver maiden claiming event for fillies and mares ages 3 and up going 6 furlongs on the main track.
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Moments later Justify scored four furlongs, effortlessly, in less than 47 seconds.
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
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First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearFURLONG Defined for English Language Learners
Definition 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
Definition 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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