As a Noun: 1. The distance something measures from one end to the other. English = length. 2. The amount of time that it takes for something to happen. English = duration. As a Verb or Adjective: 1. To measure a large distance from one end of an object to another. English = (be) long. 2. To take a large amount of time from the beginning of some event to the end of it. English = (be) long, (be) lengthy; last a long time.