nautical mile
noun
a unit of distance used chiefly in navigation, equal to 6080.20 feet (1853.25 meters) in the U.S., now replaced by the international nautical mile.
QUIZZES
Fend Off Sciolism With This Word Of The Day Quiz
Are you the Cinderella of this week’s quiz? Test your memory on the words and definitions from March 23–29.
Question 1 of 7
schlep
Also called geographical mile, sea mile.
Origin of nautical mile
First recorded in 1625–35
Words nearby nautical mile
naut., nautch, nautes, nautical, nautical day, nautical mile, nautiloid, nautilus, nautophone, nav, nav.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for nautical mile
nautical mile
noun
Also called: international nautical mile, air mile a unit of length, used esp in navigation, equivalent to the average length of a minute of latitude, and corresponding to a latitude of 45°, i.e. 1852 m (6076.12 ft)
a former British unit of length equal to 1853.18 m (6080 ft), which was replaced by the international nautical mile in 1970Former name: geographical mile Compare sea mile
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for nautical mile
nautical mile
[ nô′tĭ-kəl ]
A unit of length in the US Customary System, used in air and sea navigation and equal to 6,076 feet or 2,025 yards (1,852 meters). Also called geographic mile See Table at measurement.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.