Distance definition

Distance





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5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Distance \Dis"tance\, n. [F. distance, L. distantia.]
     1. The space between two objects; the length of a line,
        especially the shortest line joining two points or things
        that are separate; measure of separation in place.
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              Every particle attracts every other with a force . .
              . inversely proportioned to the square of the
              distance.                             --Sir I.
                                                    Newton.
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     2. Remoteness of place; a remote place.
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              Easily managed from a distance.       --W. Irving.
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              'T is distance lends enchantment to the view. --T.
                                                    Campbell.
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              [He] waits at distance till he hears from Cato.
                                                    --Addison.
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     3. (Racing) A space marked out in the last part of a race
        course.
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              The horse that ran the whole field out of distance.
                                                    --L'Estrange.
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     Note: In trotting matches under the rules of the American
           Association, the distance varies with the conditions of
           the race, being 80 yards in races of mile heats, best
           two in three, and 150 yards in races of two-mile heats.
           At that distance from the winning post is placed the
           distance post. If any horse has not reached this
           distance post before the first horse in that heat has
           reached the winning post, such horse is distanced, and
           disqualified for running again during that race.
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     4. (Mil.) Relative space, between troops in ranks, measured
        from front to rear; -- contrasted with {interval}, which
        is measured from right to left. "Distance between
        companies in close column is twelve yards." --Farrow.
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     5. Space between two antagonists in fencing. --Shak.
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     6. (Painting) The part of a picture which contains the
        representation of those objects which are the farthest
        away, esp. in a landscape.
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     Note: In a picture, the
  
     {Middle distance} is the central portion between the
        foreground and the distance or the extreme distance. In a
        perspective drawing, the
  
     {Point of distance} is the point where the visual rays meet.
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     7. Ideal disjunction; discrepancy; contrariety. --Locke.
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     8. Length or interval of time; period, past or future,
        between two eras or events.
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              Ten years' distance between one and the other.
                                                    --Prior.
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              The writings of Euclid at the distance of two
              thousand years.                       --Playfair.
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     9. The remoteness or reserve which respect requires; hence,
        respect; ceremoniousness.
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              I hope your modesty
              Will know what distance to the crown is due.
                                                    --Dryden.
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              'T is by respect and distance that authority is
              upheld.                               --Atterbury.
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     10. A withholding of intimacy; alienation; coldness;
         disagreement; variance; restraint; reserve.
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               Setting them [factions] at distance, or at least
               distrust amongst themselves.         --Bacon.
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               On the part of Heaven,
               Now alienated, distance and distaste. --Milton.
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     11. Remoteness in succession or relation; as, the distance
         between a descendant and his ancestor.
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     12. (Mus.) The interval between two notes; as, the distance
         of a fourth or seventh.
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     {Angular distance}, the distance made at the eye by lines
        drawn from the eye to two objects.
  
     {Lunar distance}. See under {Lunar}.
  
     {North polar distance} (Astron.), the distance on the heavens
        of a heavenly body from the north pole. It is the
        complement of the declination.
  
     {Zenith distance} (Astron.), the arc on the heavens from a
        heavenly body to the zenith of the observer. It is the
        complement of the altitude.
  
     {To keep one's distance}, to stand aloof; to refrain from
        familiarity.
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              If a man makes me keep my distance, the comfort is
              he keeps his at the same time.        --Swift.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Distance \Dis"tance\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Distanced}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Distancing}.]
     1. To place at a distance or remotely.
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              I heard nothing thereof at Oxford, being then miles
              distanced thence.                     --Fuller.
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     2. To cause to appear as if at a distance; to make seem
        remote.
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              His peculiar art of distancing an object to
              aggrandize his space.                 --H. Miller.
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     3. To outstrip by as much as a distance (see {Distance}, n.,
        3); to leave far behind; to surpass greatly.
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              He distanced the most skillful of his
              contemporaries.                       --Milner.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  distance
       n 1: the property created by the space between two objects or
            points
       2: a distant region; "I could see it in the distance"
       3: size of the gap between two places; "the distance from New
          York to Chicago"; "he determined the length of the
          shortest line segment joining the two points" [syn: {length}]
       4: indifference by personal withdrawal; "emotional distance"
          [syn: {aloofness}]
       5: the interval between two times; "the distance from birth to
          death"; "it all happened in the space of 10 minutes" [syn:
           {space}]
       6: a remote point in time; "if that happens it will be at some
          distance in the future"; "at a distance of ten years he
          had forgotten many of the details"
       v 1: keep at a distance; "we have to distance ourselves from
            these events in order to continue living"
       2: go far ahead of; "He outdistanced the other runners" [syn: {outdistance},
           {outstrip}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  136 Moby Thesaurus words for "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, yardage
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  DISTANCE, n.  The only thing that the rich are willing for the poor to
  call theirs, and keep.
  
  

















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