distant, a.
(ˈdɪstənt)
[a. F. distant (Oresme, 14th c.), ad. L. distānt-em standing apart, separate, distant, different, pr. pple. of distāre to stand apart: see distance.]
1. Separate or apart in space (by a specified interval). Const. from.
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. i. §17 It departeth the furste Moevable..in 2 ilike parties, evene distantz fro the poles of this world. 1546 Mem. Ripon (Surtees) III. 26 The same is distaunt from the paroch Church cccc Foote. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 125 Within which draw an other Circle, a finger bredth distant. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 1284 The armies..not distaunt by estimation above two myles. 1611 Bible Exod. xxxvi. 22 One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another. 1684 R. H. School Recreat. 46 Hold it even with the Muzzle of the Musket..about an Inch distant. 1778 F. Burney Evelina iv, This retired place, to which Dorchester, the nearest town, is seven miles distant. 1832 Act 2–3 Will. IV, c. 64 Sched. O. 38 A straight line drawn due east to a point one hundred yards distant. |
2. Separated by an unspecified but large or considerable space; far apart, not close together.
(Often used in Nat. Hist. of teeth, spines, hairs, leaves, spots, etc.)
| 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V (an. 1) (R.), All other nacions were astonnied to se suche an honorable compaignie come from a countree so farre distant. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 154 b, His [a dog's] shoulder pointes well distant. c 1586 C'tess Pembroke Ps. lxxii. vii, The woods, where enterlaced trees..Ioyne at the head, though distant at the knees. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 362, I felt, Though distant from thee Worlds between, yet felt That I must after thee with this thy Son. 1760 Anne Steele Hymn ‘O for one celestial ray’ ii, Distant from thy blest abode. 1762 Falconer Shipwr. i. 43 In distant souls congenial passions glow. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. I. 465 Jaws armed with pointed and distant teeth. |
3. a. Standing, lying, or taking place afar off; not near at hand, remote.
| 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. ii. 60 So farre be distant, and good night sweet friend. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 392 The Stallion..trembles for the distant Mare. 1710 Pope Windsor For. 401 Earth's distant ends our glory shall behold. 1712 W. Rogers Voy. 2 Furnish'd with all Necessaries..for a distant Undertaking. 1747 Gray (title), Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College. 1817 Wolfe Burial Sir J. Moore vii, We heard the distant and random gun That the foe was sullenly firing. 1850 Kingsley Alt. Locke i, Even the Surrey hills..Are to me a distant fairy land. 1879 G. C. Harlan Eyesight viii. 105 Distant vision is a passive sensation not more exhausting than breathing. |
† b. Long in extent. Obs. rare.
| 1705 W. Bosman Guinea 250 If the Trees be high, or the way any thing distant. |
c. Of the eyes: Looking into the far-distance. rare.
| 1873 Black Pr. Thule xxi. 335 Her companion's pale face and troubled and distant eyes. 1877 ― Green Past. i, The large and tender eyes are distant and troubled. |
d. distant signal: spec. on railways: a signal placed some distance in advance of a home signal to give earlier intimation of what the latter indicates (orig. one placed some distance in advance of the point of danger); also called distance signal.
| 1820 Scoresby Acc. Arctic Reg. III. 524 The sails of the ship are frequently used as distant signals. 1874 R. C. Rapier Signals Railw. 15 A distance signal was put up at St. Margaret's, near Edinburgh, 250 yards in advance of the point of danger; and after this distant signals became general. Ibid. The Great Northern was, at its construction in 1852, completely fitted with distant signals of the semaphore type. Ibid. 46 Separate distant signal arms for each home signal. 1889 G. Findlay Eng. Railway 68 The distant signal is placed at varying distances behind the home signal, according to circumstances. |
4. Far apart or remote in time.
| 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. i. 93 We had but two in the house, which at that very distant time stood, as it were in a fruit dish. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. vi. §8 The books of Holy Scripture were written..at distant times. 1757 Glynn Day of Judgem. (Mason), Whom distant ages to each other's sight Had long denied. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 148 The Parliament was again prorogued to a distant day. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. viii. 264 The glacier may also diminish in length at distant intervals. |
5. a. transf. and fig. Remote in relations other than those of space and time. distant likeness: a faint resemblance; the opposite of a close resemblance.
| 1538 Starkey England i. iv. 108 A grete faute in our pollycy and much dystant from al cyuyle ordur. 1674 N. Cox Gentl. Recreat. v. (1686) 76 He may be far distant from that perfect State of Body. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 122 ¶9, I could still discover a distant Resemblance of my old Friend. 1777 Sheridan Sch. Scand. iv. iii, I haven't the most distant idea. 1866 Argyll Reign Law vi. (1871) 274 Is it only by distant analogy? 1891 Leeds Mercury 27 Apr. 4/7 Not even the most distant allusion was made to it. |
b. spec. Remotely related in kinship.
| a 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Maid's Trag. iii. i, Good day, Amintor! for, to me, the name Of brother is too distant. 1768 Sterne Sent. Journ. (1778) II. 57 (Sword) Unlook'd for bequests from distant branches of his house. 1831 Lytton Godolph. 5 A distant connexion of the deceased. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) II. App. 671 Not a sister, but a more distant kinswoman of the Emperor. |
† 6. Different in character or quality. Obs.
| 1659 Hammond On Ps. i. Heading to Paraphr. 5 The distant fate of pious and godless men. 1667 Decay Chr. Piety xix. ¶2 Is it fit she should have guardians and champions of a quite distant temper? 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. I. 44 Distant opinions about the same Things. 1710 Steele Tatler No. 26 ¶1 Enrolling all Men in their distant classes, before they presume to drink Tea or Chocolate in those Places. |
7. Reserved in intercourse; standing aloof; not intimate or expressive of intimacy.
| 1709 Steele Tatler No. 126 ¶1 The distant Behaviour of the Prude. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xxxi, He made Miss Wilmot a modest and distant bow. 1828 Life Planter Jamaica (ed. 2) 209 [He] obtained a very distant and stately reception. 1866 Mrs. H. Wood St. Martin's Eve x, She desired Eleanor to be very distant with him. |
8. Comb. distant early warning (abbrev. D.E.W.) line, a radar system installed in North America for the advance detection of missile attack; distant-water attrib.
| 1777 R. Potter æschylus (1779) I. 55 (Jod.) Train'd to bear The distant-wounding bow. 1788 A. Seward Lett. (1811) II. 181 The visits of distant-dwelling friends. 1955 Times 18 Aug. 6/3 Two task forces, totalling 3,000 men, now on their way to the Arctic regions of Canada, will be employed in erecting more than 50 radar stations there as part of the distant early warning (D.E.W.) line. Seven radar stations are known to be working in Greenland, besides those incorporated in the two newer warning lines across Canada, named Mid-Canada and Pine Tree. 1958 Times 21 July 9/6 The Distant Early Warning line in the far north is similarly run by civilians on private contract. 1958 Listener 3 July 6/1 The total catch of the distant-water fleet. 1960 Times 5 Feb. 5/1 The British distant-water fishermen are as vitally involved as anyone in the fishery limits dispute. 1962 J. Tunstall Fishermen ix. 218 In Hull all the ships are distant-water trawlers, whereas in the other ports there are more near and middle-water ships. Ibid. x. 228 By 1953 the restriction committee was called by the amusing title of ‘The Distant Water Development Scheme’. |