a unit of length in nautical use that has various values, including 100 fathoms (600 feet)
another term for cable (sense 3b)
cable's length in American English
noun
a nautical unit of length equivalent to 720 feet (219 meters) in the U.S. Navy and 608 feet (185 meters) in the British Navy
Also: cable length. Also called: cable
Word origin
[1545–55]This word is first recorded in the period 1545–55. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: integral, inversion, offset, spiral, sweeten