distance: [13] Etymologically, things that are distant stand far apart from each other. The word comes via Old French from Latin distantia, an abstract noun formed from distāns, the present participle of distāre ‘be remote’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix dis- ‘apart’ and stāre ‘stand’ (source of English state, station, statue, etc and related to English stand). => stand, state, station, statue
distance (n.)
late 13c., "quarrel, estrangement, discord, strife," from Old French destance (13c.), from Latin distantia "a standing apart," from distantem (nominative distans) "standing apart, separate, distant," present participle of distare "stand apart," from dis- "apart, off" (see dis-) + stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, set down, make or be firm" (see stet).
Meaning "remoteness, space between things or places" is late 14c. The figurative sense of "aloofness" is the same as in stand-offish. Phrase go the distance (1930s) seems to be originally from the prize ring, where the word meant "scheduled length of a bout."
distance (v.)
1570s (transitive); 1640s (intransitive), from distance (n.). Related: Distanced; distancing.
雙語例句
1. Jay had always tended to keep his girlfriends at a distance.
杰伊一貫和他的女朋友們保持距離。
來自柯林斯例句
2. He stares detachedly into the middle distance, towards nothing in particular.
他漠然而漫無目標地注視著不遠處。
來自柯林斯例句
3. By half distance we held a comfortable two-lap lead.
到半程時，我們輕松領先兩圈。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Even from a distance the effect of his fox costume was stunning.
即使從遠處看，他的狐貍戲服也很搶眼。
來自柯林斯例句
5. Kenya's long distance runners have taken the athletics world by storm.