hub

noun

ˈhəb 

1

: the central part of a circular object (such as a wheel or propeller)

spokes attached to the hub of the wheel

2

a

: a center of activity : focal point

The island is a major tourist hub.

b

: an airport or city through which an airline routes most of its traffic

c

: a central device that connects multiple computers on a single network (see network entry 1 sense 3b)

3

: a steel punch from which a working die (see die entry 2 sense 3a) for a coin or medal is made

Synonyms

• axis
• base
• capital
• center
• central
• core
• cynosure
• epicenter
• eye
• focus
• ground zero
• heart
• locus
• mecca
• navel
• nerve center
• nexus
• nucleus
• omphalos
• seat

Example Sentences

the hub of the city

She was at the hub of all the activity.

All of the airline's coast-to-coast flights pass through its hub.

The spokes attach to the hub of the wheel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Pet Care 101:USA Today's hub for all the best pet care tips Do dogs smile?:Absolutely. —Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2023

Then in March, the virus began spreading in Shanghai, China’s cosmopolitan finance hub. —Dake Kang, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Mar. 2023

Based in troubled tech hub Silicon Valley like SVB, First Republic is the nation’s 14th largest lender. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2023

Using your phone as a WiFi hub chugs through data and your battery, you might be charged extra and the phone company may slow down your connection. —Shira Ovide, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Mar. 2023

Boasting a lightweight aluminum alloy frame, ebii weighs 35 pounds, with a single-side hub motor. —Stephanie Mlot, PCMAG, 20 Mar. 2023

Even the former Spring-break hub intersection of Sixth Street and Red River was a ghost town on Friday night, and lines to get into showcases across town were essentially nonexistent. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 20 Mar. 2023

Hertz is also building a new fast-charging hub at the Houston Hobby Airport. —Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 18 Mar. 2023

Transportation Department rolls out family seating dashboard for air travel 03:22 If U.S. airports get no respect, at least one flight hub formerly regarded as the nation's worst airport is now distinguishing itself: New York's LaGuardia Airport. —Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of hob entry 2

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hub

• hub-and-spoke

• hub-and-spoke

Kids Definition

hub

noun

ˈhəb 

1

: the central part of a circular object (as a wheel)

2

: a center of activity

Medical Definition

hub

noun

ˈhəb 

: the enlarged base by which a hollow needle may be attached to a device (as a syringe)