Nautical, a.
Etymology: [L. nauticus, Gr. nautique. See Nave of a church.]
Of or pertaining to seamen, to the art of navigation, or to ships; as, nautical skill.
Syn. -- Naval; marine; maritime. See Naval. Nautical almanac. See under Almanac. -- Nautical distance, the length in nautical miles of the rhumb line joining any two places on the earth's surface. -- nautical mile. see under Mile.
Shades of meaning
Marine (L. mare, sea) signifies belonging to the ocean, maritime, a secondary derivative from the same root, bordering on or connected with the ocean; as, marine products; marine animals; maritime nations; maritime laws. Nautical (Gr. nautes, a sailor) denotes primarily anything connected with sailors, and hence with ships or navigation; naval (L. navis, Gr. naus, a ship) refers to the armed force of a nation on the sea, and, by extension, to similar forces on lakes and rivers; as, a naval force; a nautical almanac. Ocean, used adjectively, is applied to that which belongs to or is part of the ocean; oceanic may be used in the same sense, but is especially applied to that which borders on (or upon) or is connected with, or which is similar to or suggestive of an ocean; we speak of ocean currents, oceanic islands, or, perhaps, of an oceanic intellect.