dead reckoning
Americannoun
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calculation of one's position on the basis of distance run on various headings since the last precisely observed position, with as accurate allowance as possible being made for wind, currents, compass errors, etc.
-
one's position as so calculated.
noun
Etymology
Origin of dead reckoning
First recorded in 1605–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sailors practiced dead reckoning: Start from a known point, multiply speed by elapsed time, and then hope for the best.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Reading a family novel offers a tried-and-true method of dead reckoning with the family we didn’t choose — a means of measuring our own trajectory beside the quandaries of others navigating family dramas.
From New York Times ● Jul. 13, 2021
“We learned about dead reckoning, where they sailed by their knowledge of the stars and the currents,” explains Musker.
From Time ● Sep. 1, 2016
They were flying on two engines, fighting a headwind, still icing up, with no wireless and only dead reckoning to get them home.
From Washington Post ● May 5, 2015
They used dead reckoning and followed coastlines as far as they could.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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