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.

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

Her former partner and their daughter were involved in a head-on collision in 2004, and Kianna, then 7, was thrown against the dashboard. —Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024

That includes a unique spoiler and a massive 45-inch digital display across the dashboard. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 30 May 2024

The assay sat unused until this spring, when unusually high influenza A activity began lighting up their dashboard in the Texas panhandle — the same region where the first cases of H5N1 in dairy cattle were confirmed on March 25. —Megan Molteni, STAT, 22 May 2024

Currently on sale for $40 off, this adapter is designed to project essential apps from your smartphone directly onto your car’s dashboard screen. —Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 16 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing dashboard

• dashboard camera

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