Mile Rate - Horse Racing (gambling) and automaton (sh)

Mile Rate - Horse Racing (gambling)

A calculation for each race distance is applied to the overall time of a race, so as to give a comparison to a mile. It is the approximate time the pacer would have run, had the distance been one mile (1609m). The overall race time is multiplied by 1609 and then divided by the metre length of the race.

automaton (sh)

Mechanical object, either functional (such as a clock) or decorative (such as a miniature singing bird), that is self-operating.

Devices set in motion by water, falling weights, and steam were in use in the 1st century. Decorative mechanical objects were made for ecclesiastical use and table ornaments in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Spectacular fountains and waterworks can be seen in 16th-century Italian gardens; elaborate mechanical devices (such as the chess-playing Turk) were popular in the 18th-19th century. Except for some works by Carl Faberge, the production of expensive automatons virtually ceased by the 20th century.

Sites

Pest Star