Mileage
MY-lij
/ˈmaɪ.lɪdʒ/
Distance measured in miles, or the total number of miles a vehicle travels on a given amount of fuel.
Can refer both to physical distance covered and fuel efficiency ('gas mileage'). Figuratively means useful value or duration derived from something.
The story behind the word. Derived from 'mile', which originates from the Roman unit 'mille passuum' (a thousand double-steps of a Roman soldier). The suffix '-age' was added in English to denote collective total distance.
Word relationships
- distance: Distance is unit-neutral, whereas mileage explicitly references miles as the metric of distance.
Commonly confused with
- kilometerage: Kilometerage measures distance in kilometers, common in metric-standard countries.
Word family
- mile (noun): A unit of linear measure equal to 5,280 feet.
Collocations
- gas mileage
- high mileage
- rack up mileage
- get mileage out of
Idioms & expressions
- get a lot of mileage out of
Example sentences
- "The hybrid car delivers exceptional gas mileage, making it ideal for long-distance driving." Automotive review
- "We logged our daily mileage to calculate fuel expense reimbursements." Travel budget log
Memory hook
MILE-age is the total count of MILES you age your car by driving. Count of miles driven.
When not to use
Do not use as a direct substitute for 'speed' or 'velocity'.
Fun facts
- In countries using the metric system, people often speak of 'fuel consumption' measured in liters per 100 kilometers rather than fuel mileage.
Also appears in
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