square mile

[skwair mahyl]

noun

1. a unit of area measurement equal to a square measuring one mile on each side; equivalent to 2.59 square kilometers. mi 2 , sq. mi.

Word History and Origins

Origin of square mile¹

First recorded in 1620–30

Example Sentences

The bureau’s Fresno office is responsible for inspecting worksites across more than 5,000 square miles of some of California’s most productive farmlands in the central San Joaquin Valley.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In its announcement, the company also said it’s expanding its Bay Area coverage area to include San José, establishing more than 260 square miles of uninterrupted service across the region.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Home to Africa's richest square mile, Johannesburg is also scarred by crumbling infrastructure, lack of services and chronic mismanagement.

Read more on Barron's

It’s the southernmost prefecture in the Tohoku region, an area of about 25,000 square miles that is famous for its remote beauty.

Read more on Literature

Earlier this year, Ukrainian forces continued to hold hundreds of square miles in Russia’s Kursk region, even as Moscow began to cut off their logistics.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal