mile

The word “mile” means a unit of distance equal to 1,760 yards, or about 1.6 kilometres. In plain terms, a standard measure of distance (1,760 yards), or, loosely, "a long way.".

“Mile” is pronounced myl (/maɪ̯l/ in IPA).

Here is “mile” used in a sentence: “The nearest shop is about a mile down the road.”

“Mile” is a noun.

The word “mile” comes from Latin. From Latin mīlle passūs, "a thousand paces," shortened over time to mīlia and then borrowed into Old English as mīl.

“Mile” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Mile” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a unit of distance equal to 1,760 yards, or about 1.6 kilometres.

One mile equals roughly 1.609 kilometres, usually rounded to 1.6 km for everyday use. To convert miles to kilometres you multiply by about 1.6; to go the other way you divide. So a 5-mile run is around 8 kilometres, and a 26.2-mile marathon is just over 42 km.

There are 5,280 feet in a mile, which is the same as 1,760 yards. The figure looks odd because the mile has old Roman and medieval roots rather than a neat decimal basis. For shorter distances people use yards or feet, and for longer ones, miles.

A standard, or statute, mile measures distance on land and equals 1,760 yards, about 1.6 km. A nautical mile is used at sea and in the air and is longer, about 1.85 km, because it is based on the Earth's curvature. The two are not interchangeable.

The odd number is a historical accident. The Roman "mille passus," or thousand paces, gave the mile its name and roughly its length. Later English custom tied it to the furlong used in farming, and in 1593 Parliament fixed the mile at eight furlongs — exactly 1,760 yards.