Knot (unit)
The knot (pronounced not) is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile (1.852 km) per hour, approximately 1.151 mph. There is no standard abbreviation but kn is commonly used; kt and NMPH are also seen. The knot is a non-SI unit accepted for use with the International System of Units (SI). Worldwide, the knot is used in meteorology, and in maritime and air navigation—for example, a vessel travelling at 1 knot along a meridian travels one minute of geographic latitude in one hour. Etymologically, the term knot derives from counting the number of knots in the line that unspooled from the reel of a chip log in a specific time.
Read more about Knot (unit): Definitions, Usage, Origin, Modern Use
Famous quotes containing the word knot:
“Not the less does nature continue to fill the heart of youth with suggestions of his enthusiasm, and there are now men,—if indeed I can speak in the plural number,—more exactly, I will say, I have just been conversing with one man, to whom no weight of adverse experience will make it for a moment appear impossible, that thousands of human beings might exercise towards each other the grandest and simplest of sentiments, as well as a knot of friends, or a pair of lovers.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)