dashboard

noun

dash·​board ˈdash-ˌbȯrd 

plural dashboards

1

: a panel extending across the interior of a vehicle (such as an automobile) below the windshield and usually containing instruments and controls

If something internal is wrong with your car, the dashboard will display an icon identifying the problem.

—Aaron Widmar

Abdullah sang along to the songs; I kept the rhythm by clapping my hands and drumming on the dashboard.

—Emma Sky

2

: a graphical report (as on a website) of various data relevant to a particular business, group, etc.

… other dashboards that are available for first-year applicants include information on admission by source school …

—Daily Californian

The dashboard provides data on regional, local and campus trends regarding COVID-19 testing, results and cases. The dashboard is updated each weekday with data from several different sources, including the campus testing program and self-reports by students and faculty.

—Alex Perry

Emory Police Department (EPD) will implement a dashboard of the department's data, including the status and findings of investigations and the demographics of those involved …

—Ninad Kulkarni

The RTA [Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois] uses maps and dashboards to visualize revenue, ridership, and service availability at a regional scale.

—Terry Bills

3

: a screen on the front of a usually horse-drawn vehicle to intercept water, mud, or snow

Examples of dashboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Healthcare organizations already have the systems (electronic health records; admission, discharge and transfer feeds; and so on), but the data is sitting in reports and dashboards instead of driving real-time decisions. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The space is covered from ceiling to floor in black leather and Alcantara, with high-gloss carbon-fiber trim on the consoles and dashboard and Rocket Red accents throughout. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2026

Currently, every airline tracked on the DOT’s customer-service dashboard promises a meal or meal voucher when a flight delay that is defined as within the carrier’s control leaves passengers waiting for at least three hours. — Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026

The double white stripe, purely cosmetic on the 1964 car, now functions as an organizing design element that aligns the windshield-base grille and even continues onto the dashboard. — New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing dashboard

• dashboard camera

Rhymes for dashboard

• abhorred
• aboard
• accord
• adored
• afford
• award
• baseboard
• billboard
• blackboard
• boxboard
• breadboard
• broadsword

Kids Definition

dashboard

noun

dash·​board ˈdash-ˌbō(ə)rd 

-ˌbȯ(ə)rd

1

: a screen on the front of a usually horse-pulled vehicle to keep out water, mud, or snow

2

: a panel across an automobile or airplane below the windshield usually containing dials and controls