Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dead reckoning

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.27 in modern English

Syllables: dead- reck-on-ing
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A method of estimating the position of a ship or aircraft by applying estimates of the distance and direction travelled from a previously known position. In respect to ships/boats, it excludes the effect of wind and current on the vessel.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Earlier, airmail pilots relied almost entirely on visual navigation and dead reckoning, a method that sounds simple in theory, but required remarkable concentration and experience. A pilot would plot a route on a map, take a compass heading, estimate his airspeed, and calculate how long it should take to reach the next landmark."

Etymology

Uncertain. Not short for deduced or deductive, but this belief explains the alternative spelling ded reckoning (which actually originated centuries later).

Usage

Inflected Forms

dead reckonings (plural) ded reckoning (alternative) DR (alternative)

Phrases

estimated position

Frequently Paired Words

estimated position

Synonyms

guess guesswork guessing shot

Questions

What does dead reckoning mean?: A method of estimating the position of a ship or aircraft by applying estimates of the distance and direction travelled from a previously known position. In respect to ships/boats, it excludes the effect of wind and current on the vessel.
Where does dead reckoning come from?: Uncertain. Not short for deduced or deductive, but this belief explains the alternative spelling ded reckoning (which actually originated centuries later).

How to pronounce dead reckoning

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