distance

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   size of the gap between two places

   the distance from New York to Chicago

2. 2
   noun

   indifference by personal withdrawal

   emotional distance

3. 3
   noun

   a distant region

   I could see it in the distance

4. 4
   noun

   the interval between two times

   the distance from birth to death

5. 5
   noun

   a remote point in time

   if that happens it will be at some distance in the future

6. 6
   verb

   go far ahead of

   I distanced them on my way to California.

7. 7
   verb

   keep at a distance

   we have to distance ourselves from these events in order to continue living

8. 8
   noun

   An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.

   [S]he […] gaue vs into our boate our ſupper halfe dreſſed, pots, and all, and brought vs to our boates ſide, in which wee laye all night, remoouing the ſame a pretie diſtance from the ſhoare: […]

Etymology

From Middle English distance, distaunce, destance (“disagreement, dispute; discrimination; armed conflict; hostility; trouble; space between two points; time interval”), from Anglo-Norman distance, distaunce, destance, Middle French distance, and Old French destance, destaunce, distaunce (“debate; difference, distinction; discord, quarrel; dispute; space between two points; time interval”) (modern French distance), and directly from their etymon Latin distantia (“difference, diversity; distance, remoteness; space between two points”) (whence also Late Latin distantia (“disagreement; discrepanc…