klick

IPA/klɪk/
KK[klˈɪk]IPA/klɪk/

klick — noun

1. an informal word for kilometre, used mainly by soldiers and in military settings

1.nounC1
Definition

an informal word for kilometre, used mainly by soldiers and in military settings to talk about distance

Example

Enzo's unit marched fifteen klicks through the desert before stopping to rest.

The supply depot sits about three klicks north of the main camp.

collocation: about X klicks north of [place]

Common collocations
  • a few klicks
  • about X klicks
  • nearly X klicks
  • X klicks away
  • X klicks north/south/east/west
Synonyms
  • kilometre

    standard term used in all contexts — formal, informal, civilian, and military

  • km

    written abbreviation for kilometre; rarely spoken aloud except as 'kay-em'

Usage Note

Almost always used together with a number or quantity word (three klicks, a few klicks). Common in spoken military English but rarely appears in formal or civilian writing. When in doubt, use 'kilometre' instead.

Common Mistakes

We walked five klick to the village.
We walked five klicks to the village.
'klick' takes a regular plural -s, like most English nouns.
The airport is ten klicks from the city centre.' (in a formal travel guide)
The airport is ten kilometres from the city centre.
'klick' is informal military slang; use 'kilometre' in formal or general contexts.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Klick is informal military slang for kilometre. Kilometre is the standard term used in all contexts, from road signs to scientific writing. The abbreviation km (pronounced 'kay-em') is common in writing but rarely spoken aloud — when people read 'km', they usually say 'kilometre' or, in military settings, 'klick'. Mile is the imperial equivalent (about 1.6 kilometres), still widely used in the US and UK; klick is strictly metric. Compare: 'The base is five klicks south' (soldier to soldier) vs 'The base is five kilometres south' (formal briefing) vs 'The base is 5 km south' (on a map).

kilometre ↗km ↗mile ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a few klicks
  • about X klicks
  • nearly X klicks
  • X klicks away

Prepositions

  • X klicks from
  • X klicks north/south/east/west of

Etymology

English

Klick entered US military slang during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Its exact origin is uncertain: it may come from the clicking sound made by the dial on a radio direction finder when adjusted by one kilometre, or it may be a clipped form of 'kilometre' with the 'k' standing for 'kilo-'. The word spread from the US armed forces to other English-speaking militaries and is now widely recognised in outdoor and survival contexts as well.