mile

American  

[mahyl] / maɪl /

noun

1. Also called statute mile.  a unit of distance on land in English-speaking countries equal to 5,280 feet, or 1,760 yards (1.609 kilometers).

2. nautical mile.

3. international nautical mile.

4. any of various other units of distance or length at different periods and in different countries.

5. a notable distance or margin: mi, mi.

   missed the target by a mile.

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mile British  

/ maɪl /

noun

1. Also called: statute mile.  a unit of length used in the UK, the US, and certain other countries, equal to 1760 yards. 1 mile is equivalent to 1.609 34 kilometres

2. See nautical mile

3. See Swedish mile

4. any of various units of length used at different times and places, esp the Roman mile, equivalent to 1620 yards

5. informal  (often plural) a great distance; great deal

   he missed by a mile

6. a race extending over a mile

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adverb

1. (intensifier)

   he likes his new job miles better

mile Scientific  

/ mīl /

1. A unit of length in the US Customary System, equal to 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards (about 1.61 kilometers).

2. Also called statute mile

3. See nautical mile See Table at measurement

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mile Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing mile

• miss by a mile
• miss is as good as a mile
• stick out (like a mile)

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Etymology

Origin of mile

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English mīl, from Latin mīlle (passus); mīlle, mīlia (passuum) “a thousand (paces), thousands of paces”

Example Sentences

The Chinese position sits 6 miles from the biggest U.S. military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier.

From The Wall Street Journal

Middletown, a quiet borough of about 9,500 people, sits on the Susquehanna River roughly 10 miles southeast of Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania capital.

From The Wall Street Journal

By the time WWI ended, airports and airstrips dotted the L.A. area — by some accounts, 53 existed within 10 miles of City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times

Since January its territorial gains total nearly 1,900 square miles.

From The Wall Street Journal

After a field is picked clean, workers have to find their next job, sometimes hundreds of miles away or more.

From Los Angeles Times