furlongs

Horse race units

A furlong is a unit of distance equal to one-eighth of a mile, or 220 yards.

The measurement survives almost exclusively in horse racing, where track distances are given in furlongs: The Kentucky Derby is ten furlongs.

Outside racing contexts, the term is archaic.

measurement

distance

Space between two points

yardsOutdoor home spaces
chainsLinked metal restraints
rodsThin cylindrical shafts

statute · surveying · land · acres · perches · imperial · conversion · meters · league · mile

horseracing

racecourse

Venue for competitive running

thoroughbredOf pure ancestral line
stakesPosts or wagers
handicapImposed competitive disadvantage

finish · post · lengths · track · jockey · turf · stretch · gallop · betting · paddock

literary

quaint

Attractively unfamiliar, outdated

antiquatedOld and outdated
old-fashionedBelonging to earlier times
fantasyImaginative mental wandering

Tolkien · period · historical · anachronism · charming · British · countryside · pastoral · nostalgia · vintage

Categories

measurementsheight, stature, meters, depth, pound
horse racingthoroughbred, horse racing, racehorse, flat race, horses
measurementscales, gauging, balance, metering, gram
racingrace, racing, race track, racetrack, lap
Racehorsesracehorse, thoroughbred, standardbred, colt, filly
steeplechasesteeplechase, steeplechaser, hurdle, hurdles, hurdler

Opposites

measurement system

furlongsmeters

Measuring devices

kilometers · centimeters · metric units · SI units · hectometers

scale of measurement

furlongsinches

Small length units

millimeters · light-years · parsecs · angstroms · nanometers

Family

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G