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Glite Dictionary
long URL

long URL

4.2
A web address with many characters that is hard to share
  • noun
  • Texting
translation icon : URL larga
  • Google can crawl long links, but it’s still not a fan of long URLs.

Examples

  • The long URL also gives you a great opportunity to share the uses of Tiny URL, http://tiny.cc/, with your colleagues. How about engaging students with actual art as writing prompts?

    Academic text (2009)

  • IBO URL System: This is similar to Bitly in that you can use it to shorten and mask your long URLs.

    Blog text (12)

  • A long URL is not ugly and it isn't SEO unfriendly, but an illogical URL is.

    Blog text (3)

  • Many websites create long URLs that can be difficult to remember or share.

  • It's frustrating when I have to copy and paste long URLs instead of using simple links.

  • Shortening a long URL can make it easier to include in messages or emails.

Surface Forms

long URL singular
long URLs plural

Morphology

long + URL

The meaning 'a web address that is unusually lengthy or complex' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'long' (exceeding typical length) with 'URL' (a web address). This simple adjective + noun composition is literal and common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Long URL compares a website address to a very long house address: the word long shows its size and URL means the site address. That's why the image of a long address explains why a long URL is 'a web address' that is often 'hard to share' or remember.