definitions

nautical mile

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nautical mile ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

RELATED CONTENT

Talk Like A Sailor: 9 Fascinating Nautical TermsRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
These Running Quotes Will Give You Motivation For One More MileRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

knot, NM

Nearby words

naut., nautch, nautes, nautical, nautical day, nautical mile, nauticality, nautically, nautiloid, nautilus, nautophone

Origin of nautical mile

First recorded in 1625–35
Also called geographical mile, sea mile.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

Science 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.