dashboard

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The panel below the windshield in a vehicle, holding instruments, dials, and controls for the driver.

   Grammar: Countable: one dashboard, two dashboards.

   Patterns

   • on the dashboard
   • dashboard of a car

   He placed his coffee on the dashboard while he searched for his keys.

   The dashboard showed that the engine was overheating.

   She wiped the dust off the dashboard with a cloth.

2. 2nouncountablecomputing

   A screen or web page that shows a summary of important information, often for managing a system or business.

   Grammar: Countable: open the dashboard, check the dashboard.

   Patterns

   • analytics dashboard
   • dashboard for something
   • check the dashboard

   The marketing team uses a dashboard to track sales in real time.

   You can customize your dashboard to show only the data you need.

   The dashboard displayed a warning about low disk space.

Word forms

Common combinations

car dashboard

The car dashboard has a built-in navigation screen.

dashboard camera

The taxi had a dashboard camera that recorded the whole trip.

digital dashboard

Modern cars often have a digital dashboard instead of analog gauges.

dashboard warning light

A dashboard warning light came on, so I stopped to check the tire.

data dashboard

The data dashboard helps managers spot trends quickly.

Synonyms and how they differ

instrument panel

More formal and usually refers only to the vehicle part, not to software screens.

console

Can mean a similar panel, but often includes a wider area with buttons and compartments.

control panel

Used for a set of controls, often on machines or software, not typically for a car's front panel.

Word family

dash verb

To run or move quickly; not directly related in meaning but shares the origin.

Commonly confused: dashboard or dash cam?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dashboard”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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