Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MILE, n. [L. mille passus, a thousand paces; passus being dropped in common usage, the word became a noun; Sax. mil; Sw. mil; Dan. miil; G. meile; D. myl; Fr. mille; Sp. milla; Port. milha; It. miglio.]

A measure of length or distance, containing eight furlongs, 320 rods, poles or perches, 1760 yards, 5280 feet, or 80 chains. The Roman mile was a thousand paces, equal to 1600 yards English measure.