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.
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.
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 1970
Former name: geographical mile Compare sea mile
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.