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Glite Dictionary
naut mi

naut mi

6.8
A unit for measuring distance at sea or in the air equal to about 1852 meters
  • noun
  • /nɔt maɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : milla náutica
  • The ship reported its position as five naut mi from the harbor entrance.

Examples

  • Pilots rely on naut mi when calculating flight distances over water.

  • A ship traveled 10 naut mi from the harbor.

  • The map's scale is marked in both kilometers and naut mi for international use.

  • The distance was measured in naut mis.

  • The ship reported its position as five naut mi from the harbor entrance.

  • A ship traveled 10 naut mi from the harbor.

  • The map's scale is marked in both kilometers and naut mi for international use.

Synonyms

mile
vsnaut mi
  • Specialized
93 1.0

A measure of distance at sea equal to 1,852 meters used in navigation

is the specific navigation unit around 1,852 meters rather than a general land measure
nautical mile
vsnaut mi
  • Specialized
11 4.4

A distance of exactly 1,852 meters used for measuring sea and air travel

is presented as an approximate value around 1,852 meters
mi
vsnaut mi
  • Specialized
2 8.1

A unit of distance used at sea equal to 1,852 meters

is given in full wording and focuses on the measurement itself
air mile
vsnaut mi
  • Specialized
1 3.2

A unit of distance used in flying that equals 1,852 meters

gives an approximate value instead of stressing exact aviation usage
international nautical mile
vsnaut mi
  • Specialized
4.4

A unit of distance for ships and planes that equals 1,852 meters

states an approximate length rather than the precise geodetic basis

Surface Forms

naut mi singular
naut mis plural

Morphology

naut + mi

This token is an abbreviational form combining 'naut' (short for nautical) and 'mi' (mile), so the full meaning 'nautical mile' is compositionally derivable if a learner recognises these abbreviations. However, 'naut' is not a standalone dictionary word and 'mi' is itself an abbreviation, so an average B1 learner who only knows ordinary constituent words would probably not infer the meaning reliably.

Etymology

Naut mi comes from old sailors and mapmakers. They divided the Earth into degrees and 'minutes' on maps, and one 'minute' of latitude was about one naut mi, so it matched how far ships traveled. That's why naut mi is used to measure distances at sea today.