Word Study
distance
OXFORD DICTIONARY
distance, n. & v.
--n.
1 the condition of being far off; remoteness.
2 a a space or interval between two things. b the length of this (a distance of twenty miles).
3 a distant point or place (came from a distance).
4 the avoidance of familiarity; aloofness; reserve (there was a certain distance between them).
5 a remoter field of vision (saw him in the distance).
6 an interval of time (can't remember what happened at this distance).
7 a the full length of a race etc. b Brit. Racing a length of 240 yards from the winning-post on a racecourse. c Boxing the scheduled length of a fight.
--v.tr. (often refl.)
1 place far off (distanced herself from them; distanced the painful memory).
2 leave far behind in a race or competition.
--n.
1 the condition of being far off; remoteness.
2 a a space or interval between two things. b the length of this (a distance of twenty miles).
3 a distant point or place (came from a distance).
4 the avoidance of familiarity; aloofness; reserve (there was a certain distance between them).
5 a remoter field of vision (saw him in the distance).
6 an interval of time (can't remember what happened at this distance).
7 a the full length of a race etc. b Brit. Racing a length of 240 yards from the winning-post on a racecourse. c Boxing the scheduled length of a fight.
--v.tr. (often refl.)
1 place far off (distanced herself from them; distanced the painful memory).
2 leave far behind in a race or competition.
Idiom
at a distance far off. distance-post Racing a post at the distance on a racecourse, used to disqualify runners who have not reached it by the end of the race. distance runner an athlete who competes in long- or middle-distance races. go the distance
1 Boxing complete a fight without being knocked out.
2 complete, esp. a hard task; endure an ordeal. keep one's distance maintain one's reserve. middle distance the part of a landscape or painting between the foreground and the furthest part. within hailing (or walking) distance near enough to reach by hailing or walking.
1 Boxing complete a fight without being knocked out.
2 complete, esp. a hard task; endure an ordeal. keep one's distance maintain one's reserve. middle distance the part of a landscape or painting between the foreground and the furthest part. within hailing (or walking) distance near enough to reach by hailing or walking.
Etymology
ME f. OF distance, destance f. L distantia f. distare stand apart (as DI-(2), stare stand)
DEVIL DICTIONARY
distance
n. The only thing that the rich are willing for the poor to call theirs, and keep.THESAURUS
distance
aloofness, ambit, amplitude, angle, area, arena, back, backdrop, background, backwardness, base, bashfulness, blankness, breadth, chill, chilliness, coldness, compass, constraint, coolness, detach, detachment, difference, disassociate, discreetness, discretion, dissemblance, dissimilitude, dissociate, distinction, divergence, divergency, expansion, expressionlessness, extension, extent, field, footage, footing, frigidity, frostiness, gap, get ahead of, ground, guardedness, haughtiness, hauteur, hinterland, hold the field, iciness, impassiveness, impassivity, impersonality, inaccessibility, infinity, interval, introversion, leave behind, length, lengthiness, linear measures, locale, long time, longitude, longness, measure, mileage, mise-en-scene, modesty, offishness, orbit, otherness, outdistance, outpace, outrun, overall length, overpass, pass, perpetuity, perspective, piece, post, purview, radius, range, reach, rear, remoteness, repression, reserve, reservedness, restraint, reticence, reticency, retirement, rigidity, scene, scope, seat, separate, setting, shoot ahead of, size, space, span, spell, spread, stage, stage set, stage setting, stand, standing, standoffishness, station, status, steal a march, stiffness, stretch, subduedness, suppression, surpass, sweep, theater, unaffability, unapproachability, uncongeniality, undemonstrativeness, unexpansiveness, unlikeness, venue, viewpoint, way, ways, withdrawal, withdrawnness, yardageROGET THESAURUS
distance
Success
VB succeed, be successful, gain one's end, gain one's ends, crown with success, gain a point, attain a point, carry a point, secure a point, win a point, win an object, get there, manage to, contrive to, accomplish, do wonders, work wonders, make a go of it, come off well, come off successful, come off with flying colors, make short work of, take by storm, carry by storm, bear away the bell, win one's wings, win one's spurs, win the battle, win the day, carry the day, gain the day, gain the prize, gain the palm, have the best of it, have it all one's own way, have the game in one's owns hands, have the ball at one's feet, have one on the hop, walk over the course, carry all before one, remain in possession of the field, score a success, speed, make progress, win one's way, make one's way, work one's way, find one's way, strive to some purpose, prosper, drive a roaring trade, make profit, reap the fruits, gather the fruits, reap the benefit of, reap the harvest, strike oil, gain a windfall, make one's fortune, get in the harvest, turn to good account, turn to account, triumph, be triumphant, gain a victory, obtain a victory, gain an advantage, chain victory to one's car, nail a coonskin to the wall, surmount a difficulty, overcome a difficulty, get over a difficulty, get over an obstacle, se tirer d'affaire, make head against, stem the torrent, stem the tide, stem the current, weather the storm, weather a point, turn a corner, keep one's head above water, tide over, master, get the better of, have the better of, gain the better of, gain the best of, gain the upper hand, gain the ascendancy, gain the whip hand, gain the start of, distance, surpass, defeat, conquer, vanquish, discomfit, euchre, overcome, overthrow, overpower, overmaster, overmatch, overset, override, overreach, outwit, outdo, outflank, outmaneuver, outgeneral, outvote, take the wind out of one's adversary's sails, beat, beat hollow, rout, lick, drub, floor, worst, put down, put to flight, put to the rout, put hors de combat, put out of court, silence, quell, nonsuit, checkmate, upset, confound, nonplus, stalemate, trump, baffle, circumvent, elude, trip up, trip up the heels of, drive into a corner, drive to the wall, run hard, put one's nose out of joint, settle, do for, break the neck of, break the back of, capsize, sink, shipwreck, drown, swamp, subdue, subjugate, reduce, make the enemy bite the dust, victimize, roll in the dust, trample under foot, put an extinguisher upon, answer, answer the purpose, avail, prevail, take effect, do, turn out well, work well, take, tell, bear fruit, hit it, hit the mark, hit the right nail on the head, nick it, turn up trumps, make a hit, find one's account in.Space
N space, extension, extent, superficial extent, expanse, stretch, hyperspace, room, scope, range, field, way, expansion, compass, sweep, swing, spread, dimension, length, distance, size, volume, hypervolume, latitude, play, leeway, purchase, tolerance, room for maneuver, spare room, elbow room, house room, stowage, roomage, margin, opening, sphere, arena, open space, free space, void, waste, wildness, wilderness, moor, moorland, campagna, abyss, unlimited space, infinity, world, ubiquity, length and breadth of the land, proportions, acreage, acres, acres and perches, roods and perches, hectares, square miles, square inches, square yards, square centimeters, square meters, yards (clothing), ares, arpents, spacious, roomy, extensive, expansive, capacious, ample, widespread, vast, world-wide, uncircumscribed, boundless, shoreless, trackless, pathless, extended, extensively, wherever, everywhere, far and near, far and wide, right and left, all over, all the world over, throughout the world, throughout the length and breadth of the land, under the sun, in every quarter, in all quarters, in all lands, here there and everywhere, from pole to pole, from China to Peru, from Indus to the pole, from Dan to Beersheba, from end to end, on the face of the earth, in the wide world, from all points of the compass, to the four winds, to the uttermost parts of the earth.Distance
N distance, space, remoteness, farness, far- cry to, longinquity, elongation, offing, background, remote region, removedness, parallax, reach, span, stride, outpost, outskirt, horizon, aphelion, foreign parts, ultima Thule, ne plus ultra, antipodes, long range, giant's stride, dispersion, length, cosmic distance, light-years, distant, far off, far away, remote, telescopic, distal, wide of, stretching to, yon, yonder, ulterior, transmarine, transpontine, transatlantic, transalpine, tramontane, ultramontane, ultramundane, hyperborean, antipodean, inaccessible, out of the way, unapproached, unapproachable, incontiguous, far off, far away, afar, afar off, off, away, a long way off, a great way off, a good way off, wide away, aloof, wide of, clear of, out of the way, out of reach, abroad, yonder, farther, further, beyond, outre mer, over the border, far and wide, over the hills and far away, from pole to pole, to the uttermost parts, to the ends of the earth, out of hearing, nobody knows where, a perte de vue, out of the sphere of, wide of the mark, a far cry to, apart, asunder, wide apart, wide asunder, longo intervallo, at arm's length, distance lends enchantment, it's a long long way to Tipperary, out of sight, out of mind.VB be distant, extend to, stretch to, reach to, spread to, go to, get to, stretch away to, range, remain at a distance, keep away, keep off, keep aloof, keep clear of, stand away, stand off, stand aloof, stand clear of, stay away, keep one's distance, distance, distance oneself from.
Length
N length, longitude, span, mileage, distance, line, bar, rule, stripe, streak, spoke, radius, lengthening, prolongation, production, protraction, tension, tensure, extension, line, nail, inch, hand, palm, foot, cubit, yard, ell, fathom, rood, pole, furlong, mile, league, chain, link, arpent, handbreadth, jornada, kos, vara, astronomical unit, AU, light- year, parsec, nanometer, nm, micron, micrometer, millimicron, millimeter, mm, centimeter, cm, meter, kilometer, km, pedometer, perambulator, scale, long, longsome, lengthy, wiredrawn, outstretched, lengthened, sesquipedalian, interminable, no end of, macrocolous, linear, lineal, longitudinal, oblong, as long as my arm, as long as today and tomorrow, unshortened &c (shorten), lengthwise, at length, longitudinally, endlong, along, tandem, in a line, in perspective, from end to end, from stem to stern, from head to foot, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, from top to toe, fore and aft.Progression
VB advance, proceed, progress, get on, get along, get over the ground, gain ground, forge ahead, jog on, rub on, wag on, go with the stream, keep one's course, hold on one's course, go on, move on, come one, get on, pass on, push on, press on, go forward, move forward, come forward, get forward, pass forward, push forward, press forward, go forwards, move forwards, come forwards, get forwards, pass forwards, push forwards, press forwards, go ahead, move ahead, come ahead, get ahead, pass ahead, push ahead, press ahead, make one's way, work one's way, carve one's way, push one's way, force one's way, edge one's way, elbow one's way, make progress, make head, make way, make headway, make advances, make strides, make rapid strides, go ahead, shoot ahead, distance, make up leeway.Recession
VB recede, go, move back, move from, retire, withdraw, shrink, back off, come away, move away, back away, go away, get away, drift away, depart, retreat, move off, stand off, sheer off, fall back, stand aside, run away, remove, shunt, distance.Transcursion
VB transgress, surpass, pass, go beyond, go by, show in front, come to the front, shoot ahead of, steal a march upon, steal a gain upon, overstep, overpass, overreach, overgo, override, overleap, overjump, overskip, overlap, overshoot the mark, outstrip, outleap, outjump, outgo, outstep, outrun, outride, outrival, outdo, beat, beat hollow, distance, leave in the lurch, leave in the rear, throw into the shade, exceed, transcend, surmount, soar, encroach, trespass, infringe, trench upon, entrench on, intrench on, strain, stretch a point, strain a point, cross the Rubicon.For further exploring for "distance" in Webster Dictionary Online