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Furlong Has Old English Roots
Furlong is an English original that 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—a trench in the earth made by a plow—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.
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Word History
Middle English, from Old English furlang, from furh furrow + lang long
14th century, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Furlong.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furlong. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
furlong
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on 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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