Meaning & use
speedometer
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
An instrument in a vehicle that shows how fast it is going.
Grammar: Regular plural: speedometers. Often used with 'the' when referring to a specific vehicle's instrument.
Patterns
- check the speedometer
- the speedometer reads ...
- the speedometer shows ...
He glanced at the speedometer and realized he was driving too fast.
The speedometer on my bike is broken, so I don't know how fast I'm going.
According to the speedometer, we were doing about 60 miles per hour.
Word forms
| plural | speedometers |
|---|
Common combinations
- check the speedometer
- Always check the speedometer when entering a new speed limit zone.
- the speedometer reads
- The speedometer reads 50, but I think it's inaccurate.
- digital speedometer
- Many new cars have a digital speedometer instead of a dial.
- speedometer cable
- The mechanic replaced the broken speedometer cable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speed indicator
- A formal or technical term for the same device; speedometer is the everyday word.
Word family
- odometer noun
- An instrument that measures total distance traveled, not speed.
Commonly confused: speedometer or odometer?
speedometer vs odometer
A speedometer shows current speed, while an odometer records the total distance a vehicle has traveled.
Practice
The ______ showed that we were driving at 70 miles per hour.
Choose one answer.
A speedometer measures speed. An odometer measures distance, a thermometer measures temperature, and a barometer measures air pressure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “speedometer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.