Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
You use ~ when you are referring to past time. For example, if something happened one year ~, it is one year since it happened. If it happened a long time ~, it is a long time since it happened.
He was killed a few days ~ in a skiing accident...
The meeting is the first since the war began 14 years ~...
Harry’s daughter is dead. She died long ~.
ADV: ADV with v, n ADV, long ADV