nautical mile

noun

1. a unit of distance used chiefly in navigation, equal to 6080.20 feet (1853.25 meters) in the United States, now replaced by the international nautical mile.

nautical mile

noun

1. Also calledinternational nautical mileair 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)
2. a former British unit of length equal to 1853.18 m (6080 ft), which was replaced by the international nautical mile in 1970 Former namegeographical mile Compare sea mile

nautical mile

/ nô′tĭ-kəl /

1. 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).
2. Also called geographic mile
3. See Table at measurement

Word History and Origins

Origin of nautical mile¹

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

Taiwan’s coast guard said a boat carrying four people was fishing about one nautical mile away from Kinmen, which Taiwan has claimed as a restricted area largely for military purposes, and capsized during a chase.

From Seattle Times

The unnamed Chinese vessel had been trespassing Wednesday afternoon by sailing about one nautical mile off the coast of an islet of Kinmen island, Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said in a statement.

From Seattle Times

The 40,000 nautical mile "Darwin200" expedition hopes to anchor in 32 ports, including all the major ports visited by Darwin's HMS Beagle.

From Reuters

The 30-strong team - 20 international members and 10 young local artists - will embark on a 450 nautical mile Kõmij Mour Ijin "Our Life Is Here" voyage, sailing through the atolls of the Marshalls, where rising sea levels are projected to put 96% of the capital Majuro at risk of frequent flooding, according to a World Bank study.

From Reuters

In one episode, an officer on a Chinese warship, apparently broadcasting a warning to a Taiwanese vessel, says: "Your so-called 24 nautical mile line does not exist".

From Reuters