long a

Noun

Meaning

(phonics) The vowel sound in the words "game" and "cake", signified by the silent e; /eɪ/.

(linguistics, especially UK) The vowel sound in the English words bath and castle when pronounced with an open back unrounded vowel (/ɑː/); associated with southern England accents.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart. O when may it suffice? William Butler Yeats

France was long a despotism tempered by epigrams. Thomas Carlyle

All democracies are based on the proposition that power is very dangerous and that it is extremely important not to let any one person or small group have too much power for too long a time. Aldous Huxley

No matter how long a log floats on the river, it will never be a crocodile. Bambara Proverb

He that's long a giving, knows not how to give. Dutch Proverb

If you want to know how long a man's tongue is, let him use his mouth to lick honey from a plate. African Proverb

Close letter words and terms