noun
Langley
LANG-lee
noun
1
A unit of solar energy received per unit area, used in older meteorology and physics, equal to one calorie per square centimeter.
"The weather station recorded solar radiation in langleys."
name
1
Shorthand for the CIA, from the name of the town where its headquarters is located.
"The analyst said the order came straight from Langley."
How to Use Langley
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA scientific unit of solar energy, or informally a nickname for the CIA (from its Langley, Virginia headquarters).
Word Forms
Langleys plural, langleys plural
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Etymology
From Old English words meaning "long" and "woodland clearing" — literally "long meadow" or "long glade."