n.
Any of various units of distance, including the statute mile of 5,280 ft (1.61 km).
It originated from the Roman mille passus , or "thousand paces," which measured 5,000 Roman ft (4,840 English ft [1,475 km]). A nautical mile is the length on the Earth's surface of one minute of arc or, by international definition, 1,852 m (6,076.12 ft [1.1508 statute mi]); it remains in universal use in both marine and air transportation. A knot is one nautical mile per hour. See also International System of Units ; metric system .