speedometer

noun

speed·​om·​e·​ter spi-ˈdä-mə-tər How to pronounce speedometer (audio)
1
: an instrument for indicating speed : tachometer
2
: an instrument for indicating distance traversed as well as speed of travel
also : odometer

Examples of speedometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the Porsche setup, there’s a three-dial layout with the speedometer on the left and a wallpaper made to match its houndstooth seat pattern. Richard Lawler, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2023 The local police cannot enforce speed limits because carts do not have speedometers, Ms. Learnard said. Rick Rojas Gabriela Bhaskar, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023 The Bakelite dashboard was significantly changed with a modern-looking horizontal speedometer and gauges with two ashtrays at each end of the dash. David Krumboltz, The Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2024 Once the speedometer dropped to 40 mph, an illuminated white stripe appeared at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions of the steering wheel’s Drive Pilot buttons, telling us the system was ready. Mark Takahashi, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2023 In the Aston Martin layout, there’s a media display in the center, surrounded by the speedometer and tachometer, and outlined in the brand’s distinctive green. Richard Lawler, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2023 Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University, likened the improper focus on race during redistricting to a driver who only watches the speedometer and ignores traffic patterns, road conditions and other vehicles. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2023 Perched on the center median was a white Mercedes-Benz sedan, its speedometer stuck on 85 miles per hour, according to a police report. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023 That may have been more realism than anybody wants, but the gauges use the same typeface and rigorously recreate the 3D appearance of 1980s mechanical speedometers and tachometers. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speedometer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

speed entry 1 + -o- + -meter

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of speedometer was in 1903

Dictionary Entries Near speedometer

Cite this Entry

“Speedometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speedometer. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

speedometer

noun
speed·​om·​e·​ter spi-ˈdäm-ət-ər How to pronounce speedometer (audio)
1
: an instrument that measures speed
2
: an instrument that both measures speed and records distance traveled

More from Merriam-Webster on speedometer

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