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

They lived hundreds of miles apart—the former in Venice, the latter in Florence and Rome—and inhabited vastly different aesthetic universes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Or is it a sleek, modern home perched atop a mountain where the nearest grocery store is miles and miles away?

From The Wall Street Journal

“We’ve no neighbors; the next nearest house is a good twenty-one miles away. It’s a long way yet,” said Frank Aureate.

From Literature

Eventually, you can take them hundreds of miles away—fly them to France, behind enemy lines—and attach a message to their leg, and they’ll find their way back home.

From Literature

Gross ton miles, a metric that measures how much freight a railroad moves and how far it is moved, increased 5% to 118.9 million.

From The Wall Street Journal