Skip to main content
speedometer

speedometer

11 3.3
A device on a car dashboard that shows how fast it is going
  • noun
  • /spiːˈdɒmɪtər/
translation icon : velocímetro
  • Keep your eye on that speedometer.
  • speedometer needle
  • speedometer gauge
  • speedometer reads 100 mph

Then Cam, then Cam realizes we have a problem when he starts to look at the speedometer.

Examples

  • Craig watched the speedometer edge up past thirty-one kilometers per hour.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Look at that speedometer.

  • What does the speedometer say?

  • The speedometer goes up to 200 miles an hour.

  • Hey, look at the speedometer.

  • The speedometer on her car showed that she'd driven 94 miles.

  • Look at the speedometer.

  • Amy watches the speedometer as it climbs to 75, then 80, then 85.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Otis wiped sweat from his forehead, glanced at the speedometer: fifty, sixty...

    Fiction book (2001)
  • While driving, it's important to regularly glance at the speedometer to ensure you are not exceeding the speed limit.

Synonyms

Speedo
vsspeedometer
  • UK
10 7.3

A part of a car that shows how fast it is moving

is identical in meaning but is the more formal standard term
speed indicator
vsspeedometer
1 3.0

A device that shows how fast a car or other vehicle is moving

is specifically the dashboard instrument showing current speed
velocimeter
vsspeedometer
  • Specialized
9.1

A tool that measures how fast something moves

is limited to the vehicle dashboard instrument rather than general measurement

How Accurate

Doppler radar
  • Specialized
4 3.9
speedometer
11 3.3

Surface Forms

speedometer singular
speedometers plural

Morphology

speedometer = speed + meter (transparent) = speed + meter

The meaning is a straightforward combination of 'speed' and 'meter', referring to an instrument that measures speed.

Etymology

Speedometer combines speed and -meter, where -meter means 'measure' and appears in familiar words like thermometer. So a speedometer is the device on a car that 'measures' and shows how fast you are going.