odometer

noun

odom·​e·​ter ō-ˈdä-mə-tər 

: an instrument for measuring the distance traveled (as by a vehicle)

Did you know?

Odometer includes the root from the Greek word hodos, meaning "road" or "trip". An odometer shares space on your dashboard with a speedometer, a tachometer, and maybe a "tripmeter". The odometer is what crooked car salesmen tamper with when they want to reduce the mileage a car registers as having traveled. One of life's little pleasures is watching the odometer as all the numbers change at the same time.

Examples of odometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Having far more mileage on the odometer than any other active tight end looms as a big test for the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 June 2025

It should be noted, though, that the latter car, of which a sales result has not been made public, had only 20 delivery miles on the odometer. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 2 June 2025

The Celtics, even before Jayson Tatum, had a lot of miles on the odometer. —Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025

Another example, with less than 21,000 miles on the odometer, sold for $550,000. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

French odomètre, from Greek hodometron, from hodos way, road + metron measure — more at measure

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for odometer

• barometer
• bolometer
• chronometer
• geometer
• hydrometer
• hygrometer
• kilometer
• micrometer
• photometer
• psychrometer
• pycnometer
• pyrometer

Kids Definition

odometer

noun

odom·​e·​ter ō-ˈdäm-ət-ər 

: an instrument for measuring distance traveled (as by a vehicle)