2006-10-04 01:40:35 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
if talking about the speed of boats etc look at
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0139.shtml
2006-10-04 01:42:44 · answer #1 · answered by mothertiggy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a nautical measure of speed.
"The term comes from the knots on the line of a chip log which were spaced at a distance of 47 feet 3 inches. The number oif these knots which ran out while a 28-second sandglass emptied itself gave the speed of the ship in nautical miles per hour."
2006-10-04 10:49:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word 'knots' is derived from the term 'nautical mile', which is slightly different length to an ordinary mile. Ergo, the rate of knots is the speed a ship/boat is travelling at.
It is also a common adage that something is moving at a rate of knots, which means travelling fast.
2006-10-04 08:44:17 · answer #3 · answered by SteveUK 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rate of knots is the speed at which a boat travels in the water. Also used as slang for high speed in anything else.
2006-10-04 08:59:04 · answer #4 · answered by Pebbles 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
rate of knots is a euphamism for high speed
marine speed is measured in nautical miles per hour, where a nautical mile is expressed as 1 degree of latitude at the equator or earth, which approxiamtes to around 1.1 statue miles
the word knot is derived form an ancient method of calculating speed (some say a float tied to a piece of rope was chucked overboard with knots tied at known intervals. the number of knots taken overboard indicated the speed.)
2006-10-04 08:56:37 · answer #5 · answered by Mark J 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A knot is a measurement of speed which is a nautical mile per hour which is in turn approximately equal to 1.8km per hour
2006-10-06 10:17:41 · answer #6 · answered by Kevin F 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
About 33 and a third.
2006-10-04 11:39:31 · answer #7 · answered by Phlodgeybodge 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a nautical term for miles per hour. For some reason.
2006-10-04 08:43:36 · answer #8 · answered by Joker 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://epennypress.com/Words_Starting_with_A/aster_at_a_stroke/at_a_rate_of_knots_definition.html
2006-10-04 08:43:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋