Nautical means to do with ships and the sea. Nautical terms, a nautical mile, nautical charts.
A nautical mile is not an arbitrary unit — it is one minute of latitude, about 1,852 metres, which is why it survives at sea and in the air where the ordinary mile does not. The Greek naus means a ship, and nausea comes from the same word.
1adjectivenauticalTo do with ships and the sea.
“The seaside restaurant had a nautical theme, with ropes, anchors and old ship's wheels on the walls.”
nautical is a quality of the sea.
Latin nauticus comes from Greek nautikos, from naus, a ship. Nausea and navy are relatives.
Ancient Greek
ναυτικός
la-cla
nauticus — of or relating to ships, seafaring
Middle French
nautique — of or relating to sailors or navigation
English, today
nautical
From nautique + nauticus + -al. From Middle French nautique (“of or relating to sailors or navigation”) or its etymon, la-cla nauticus (“of or relating to ships, seafaring”), al. Nauticus is from Ancient Greek ναυτικός, from ναύτης + ικός. Compare later nautic. With use as noun compare la-cla nauticus (“sailor”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA