instrument panel
5
3.9
- noun
- /ˈɪnstrəmənt ˈpænəl/
:
panel de instrumentos
- The speedometer on the instrument panel indicated that we were driving 60 miles per hour.
- a new instrument panel
- instrument panel with airbags
- the glow of the instrument panel
Examples
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I was pressed up against the instrument panel and was motionless.
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The capital letter E on the instrument panel of her car flashed red.
Fiction book (1999) -
Put your hands on the instrument panel.
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Well, suppose you let us set this in the instrument panel.
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Now, look at the instrument panel.
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Okay, but can we at least proceed with the instrument panel we discussed?
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I want you to find the artificial horizon on the instrument panel.
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Inside, a dramatic wraparound instrument panel surrounds the driver.
Academic text (1993) -
The small instrument panel glowed green, and the vehicle swayed slightly as the man got aboard.
Fiction book (1991) -
While talking in an even tone, Corbett intently studies the instrument panel and scans the landscape below.
Fiction book (1993)
Synonyms
322
3.6
A flat piece of material that forms part of a larger surface like in clothes or umbrellas
167
5.4
A flat panel inside electronic devices that holds small parts
30
3.4
A panel in a vehicle with instruments and controls for the driver
19
3.4
A flat board with switches and dials that people use to run and check machines
3
4.1
A flat panel with switches and dials used to operate and check electric equipment
How Complex
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a flat panel fitted with dials, switches, and meters' is directly derivable from combining 'instrument' (a technical device or measuring tool) with 'panel' (a flat section or surface). This is a literal, compositional noun phrase found across languages (e.g., Spanish 'panel de instrumentos'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Instrument panel comes from putting instrument and panel together: an instrument is a tool that shows information and a panel is a flat board. Imagine a car or plane dashboard full of dials and lights — that picture explains why it means 'the flat board with dials, switches, and meters used to monitor and control a machine'.