at arm's length
At a distance, away from one's body.
Iceland were defiant, as they always are, rigid in defence and lacking in attacking ambition, willing to simply keep England at arm's length and maybe land a counter-punch.
length
UK /lɛŋ(k)θ/ US /lɛŋ(k)θ/
noun 5verb 1
Definitions
noun
1
The distance measured along the longest dimension of an object.
2
Duration.
Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
3
The length of a horse, used to indicate the distance between horses at the end of a race.
4
Distance between the two ends of a line segment.
5
The distance down the pitch that the ball bounces on its way to the batsman.
verb
1
To lengthen.
Pack night, peep day; good day, of night now borrow: / Short night, to-night, and length thyself to-morrow.
Was never man such favour could off atall ladies fynde, To cause them lengthe or shorte the day which they to hym assynde.
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