dead reckoning
noun
1
: the determination without the aid of celestial observations of the position of a ship or aircraft from the record of the courses sailed or flown, the distance made, and the known or estimated drift
2
dead reckon
verb
Examples of dead reckoning in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To gauge longitude, by contrast, requires dead reckoning.
—
The Conversation, 14 May 2025
Born in Marblehead, Mass., Ellen Creesy learned how to pilot a vessel from her father, who also taught her the rudiments of navigation: dead reckoning and how to read a nautical chart.
—Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2022
But for longitude, navigators had to rely on dead reckoning that was subject to errors.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021
There is also straightforward dead reckoning and inertial navigation.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2021
The researchers modeled the animals’ behavior using a variety of math ideas and the navigational concept of dead reckoning.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 19 Mar. 2021
Yoni Nova Kusumawan, had to rely on dead reckoning—using the STS-50’s trackline and rate of speed to estimate where and when to intercept it.
—Tristram Korten, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Aug. 2020
Known as dead reckoning, the system didn't use satellites.
—Larry Printz, Ars Technica, 24 June 2020
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The Conversation, 14 May 2025
Born in Marblehead, Mass., Ellen Creesy learned how to pilot a vessel from her father, who also taught her the rudiments of navigation: dead reckoning and how to read a nautical chart.
—Gary Kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2022
But for longitude, navigators had to rely on dead reckoning that was subject to errors.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021
There is also straightforward dead reckoning and inertial navigation.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2021
The researchers modeled the animals’ behavior using a variety of math ideas and the navigational concept of dead reckoning.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 19 Mar. 2021
Yoni Nova Kusumawan, had to rely on dead reckoning—using the STS-50’s trackline and rate of speed to estimate where and when to intercept it.
—Tristram Korten, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Aug. 2020
Known as dead reckoning, the system didn't use satellites.
—Larry Printz, Ars Technica, 24 June 2020
Cite this Entry
“Dead reckoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20reckoning. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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