cable's length

American  

Or cable length

noun

1. a nautical unit of length equivalent to 720 feet (219 meters) in the U.S. Navy and 608 feet (185 meters) in the British Navy.

---

Etymology

Origin of cable's length

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

The next day the Boyne weighed anchor, and was towed by boats round from the bay of Baillif to the road of Basse Terre, where she anchored within a cable's length of the shore.

From An Account of the Campaign in the West Indies, in the Year 1794, Under the Command of their Excellencies Lieutenant General Sir Charles Grey, K.B., and Vice Admiral Sir John Jervis, K.B. by Willyams, Cooper

Hardly a cable's length away was anchored a stout corvette of twenty-eight guns, whose officers and men, up to that moment, had been observing the new arrival quite listlessly.

From The Noank's Log A Privateer of the Revolution by Stoddard, W. O.

The two whalers pulled almost neck and neck at half a dozen boats' lengths apart, while at a good cable's length astern, and quite invisible to the rest, followed the gigs.

From The Fight for Constantinople A Story of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)

Mr. Garboard had already gone on board the prize, hauled her off from the ship, where she was chafing her sides, and moored her a cable's length distant.

From Brave Old Salt or, Life on the Quarter Deck by Optic, Oliver

"Us be overtakin' them," and he nodded in the direction of the two boats that were still leading by less than a cable's length.

From With Beatty off Jutland A Romance of the Great Sea Fight by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)