astronomical unit

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a unit of length, equal to the mean distance of the earth from the sun: approximately 93 million miles (150 million km). : AU

astronomical unit

noun

1. a unit of distance used in astronomy equal to the mean distance between the earth and the sun. 1 astronomical unit is equivalent to 1.495 × 10 ¹¹metres or about 9.3 × 10 ⁷miles

astronomical unit

/ ăs′trə-nŏm′ĭ-kəl /

1. A unit of length equal to the average distance from Earth to the Sun, approximately 149.6 million km (92.8 million mi). It is used especially to measure distances within the solar system.
2. Compare light-year

astronomical unit

1. The mean distance between the Earth and the sun , about 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. It is often abbreviated as AU.

Word History and Origins

Origin of astronomical unit¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

In naming these enormous distances what astronomical unit is used?

From Project Gutenberg

That was one astronomical unit, equal to about ninety-three million miles, the distance from Earth to the sun.

From Project Gutenberg

We are, so to speak, an astronomical unit, and we affect each other for better or for worse.

From Project Gutenberg