Citations:distance

English citations of distance

			1678		1843
ME «	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

Noun

(countable)
1. An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
  - 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress as Originally Published by John Bunyan: Being a Fac-simile Reproduction of the First Edition, London: Elliot Stock […], 1875, →OCLC, page 32:
    A little diſtance from this Gate, there is erected a ſtrong Caſtle, of which Beelzebub is the Captain: from thence both he, and them that are with him ſhoot arrows at thoſe that come up to this Gate; if haply they may dye before they can enter in.
  - 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas, […], 1928, →OCLC, page 4:
    Novv by this time the Man vvas got a good diſtance from them; But hovvever they vvere reſolved to purſue him; vvhich they did and in a little time they over-took him.
  - 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas, […], 1928, →OCLC, page 18:
    So the other told him, that by that he vvas gone ſome diſtance from the Gate, he vvould come at the Houſe of the Interpreter; at vvhoſe Door he ſhould knock; and he vvould ſhevv him excellent things.
2. Chiefly in from a distance: a place which is far away or remote; specifically (especially painting), a more remote part of a landscape or view as contrasted with the foreground.
  - 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Three. The Second of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 104–105:
    And every man on board [the ship], waking or sleeping, good or bad, had had a kinder word for another on that day than on any day in the year; and had shared to some extent in its festivities; and had remembered those he cared for at a distance, and had known that they delighted to remember him.
(uncountable)
1. Chiefly preceded by the, especially in into or in the distance: the place that is far away or remote.
  - 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 48:
    They walked along the road; Scrooge recognising every gate, and post, and tree; until a little market-town appeared in the distance, with its bridge, its church, and winding river.
2. The state of being separated from something else, especially by a long way; the state of being far off or remote; farness, remoteness.
  - 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave I. Marley’s Ghost.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 5:
    But what did Scrooge care? It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call "nuts" to Scrooge.