a unit of distance used in astronomy equal to the mean distance between the earth and the sun. 1 astronomical unit is equivalent to 1.495 × 1011 metres or about 9.3 × 107 miles
astronomical unit in American English
Astronomy
a unit of length based on the mean distance of the earth from the sun, c. 149.6 million km (c. 93 million mi): light travels this distance in c. 8.3 minutes: abbrev. AU