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Glite Dictionary
cable length

cable length

6.3
A sea distance equal to one tenth of a nautical mile, about 185 meters
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : cable
  • High-speed self-timed interface (STI) with cable lengths between 5 cm and 20 m.

Examples

  • They needed a cable length of at least five hundred feet to connect the buoy to the ship.

  • PSI ranges are from 1 to 65, and cable lengths are available up to 500 feet.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Flora was five cable lengths away, and as far as Mac could tell, she was following Ariadne.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The issue there, of course, is that practically all projector hookups for presentations are VGA only due to the limitation of digital video cable length without some sort of overpriced booster/extender (the cheap ones never work well in my experience).

    Blog text (19)

  • The sailor measured the cable length to ensure the anchor would reach the seabed.

  • During the race, the divers were instructed to keep a safe distance of three cable lengths from the underwater obstacles.

Synonyms

cable
vscable length
  • Specialized
2 7.2

A sea distance equal to about 185 meters

is the longer worded form that specifies the distance measure
cable's length
vscable length
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A distance at sea equal to about 185 meters

is the standard noun form naming the measure directly

How Long

nautical mile
  • Specialized
11 4.4
nautical linear unit
  • Specialized
7.5
cable length
  • Specialized
6.3
nautical chain
  • Archaic
7.5
fathom
  • Specialized
10 6.5

Surface Forms

cable length singular
cable lengths plural

Morphology

cable + length

The phrase is a straightforward noun–noun combination where 'cable' names a specific nautical unit and 'length' denotes a measure, so the meaning 'a length equal to one cable' is directly compositional. This pattern (unit + length) is common and predictable, so a learner who knows both constituent senses can infer the MWE's meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Cable length may come from the marked lengths on a ship's anchor cable, which sailors used to measure how far they were from land or another ship. So cable length now means 'about 185 metres', a short distance at sea.