long-on: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Specialised, Technical, Informal-Sporting
Quick answer
What does “long-on” mean?
A fielding position in cricket, on the leg side roughly in line with, but at a long distance from, the batsman's stumps.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fielding position in cricket, on the leg side roughly in line with, but at a long distance from, the batsman's stumps.
The name can also refer to the fielder stationed in that position. Figuratively, it can denote a far-off or peripheral position in any activity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively used in cricket-playing nations (e.g., UK, Australia, India). In American English, it is virtually unknown outside niche sporting communities and requires explanation.
Connotations
In cricket contexts, it has a precise, technical connotation. Elsewhere, it may connote deep specialist knowledge or be used metaphorically for something distant.
Frequency
Very frequent in UK sports media and conversation during cricket season; extremely rare to non-existent in general American English.
Grammar
How to Use “long-on” in a Sentence
[Batsman/Player] hit the ball to long-on.[Captain] placed a fielder at long-on.The catch was taken by the fielder at long-on.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
Only in sports science or historical analyses of cricket.
Everyday
Used only in conversations about cricket.
Technical
Core terminology in cricket coaching manuals, commentary, and rulebooks.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “long-on”
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “long-on”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “long-on”
- Writing as one word ('longon') or two words without a hyphen ('long on'). Confusing it with 'long-off'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely. It is almost exclusively a cricket term. It might be used metaphorically in other UK/Commonwealth contexts to mean 'a distant or unimportant position'.
Long-on is on the leg side (the side of the batsman's legs), while long-off is directly opposite, on the off side (the side of the batsman's bat).
In British English, it's /ˌlɒŋ ˈɒn/ (long-ON). In American English, it's /ˌlɔːŋ ˈɑːn/, though the term is seldom used.
No, it is only a noun referring to a position or the fielder in that position.
A fielding position in cricket, on the leg side roughly in line with, but at a long distance from, the batsman's stumps.
Long-on is usually specialised, technical, informal-sporting in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be sent to long-on (figurative): to be sidelined or given a minor role.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a cricketer hitting a ball that goes ON for a LONG time before it lands where the fielder is standing: LONG-ON.
Conceptual Metaphor
A DISTANT POSITION IS A FAR-OUT POST (used metaphorically for being out of the main action).
Practice
Quiz
In cricket, 'long-on' is a fielding position primarily on which side of the field?