What is a micrometer?
A micrometer (µm; micrometre outside the US) is 0.000001 meters. The µ is the Greek letter mu, the SI symbol for the prefix micro.
A micrometer is a millionth of a meter, the scale of things you need a microscope for. A red blood cell is about 7 micrometers across and a human hair about 70.
The unit shares its name with the micrometer screw gauge, the hand tool for measuring small parts. That usually reads to 0.01mm, which is 10 micrometers, so the micrometer mostly doesn't measure in micrometers.
What is a furlong?
A furlong is 220 yards or 660 feet, which is exactly 201.168 meters. It is an eighth of a mile.
The origin of the term "furlong" can be traced back to Old English, where "furh" meant "furrow" and "lang" meant "long." This reflects the historical use of furlongs in measuring the length of a furrow in agricultural fields. In horse racing, furlongs are used to measure the distance between the starting point and the finish line. A racecourse typically consists of multiple furlongs, with the most common distances being 5 furlongs (5/8 of a mile) and 8 furlongs (1 mile).
Outside the racecourse the furlong has almost gone. British racing still gives distances in miles and furlongs, so a mile and a quarter is written 1m 2f. Road signs don't use it – they give miles and, for short distances, yards.