speedometer

[spee-dom-i-ter, spi-] /spiˈdɒm ɪ tər, spɪ-/

noun

an instrument on an automobile or other vehicle for indicating the rate of travel in miles or kilometers per hour.

Origin

1900-05; speed + -o- + -meter

Examples from the web for speedometer

Sure enough, the speedometer shoots up in a satisfactory way.
The speedometer uses the rotation of the wheels to get the speed.
The speedometer is basic, but must be certified for catching speeders.
Remember that gas is in liters, and your speedometer and all road signs are in kilometers.
The condition of the rugs and brake pedal wear testify to the accuracy of the speedometer readings.
Elsewhere it has been suggested that cabs' meters should be rigged to turn off when the speedometer goes above the legal limit.
And if the speedometer cable makes a clicking sound, leave it alone.
Check the speedometer often, and pay attention to the posted speed limits.
Inflate all tires to the uniform pressure used during speedometer calibration.
Test drive the car and see if the speedometer sticks.

British Dictionary definitions for speedometer

speedometer

/spɪˈdɒmɪtə/

noun

a device fitted to a vehicle to measure and display the speed of travel See also mileometer

Word Origin and History for speedometer

1904, from speed + -meter. A Germanic-Greek hybrid and thus execrated by purists.

[T]he ancient Greeks & Romans knew what speed was, & yet no-one supposes they called it speed, whence it follows that speedo- & speedometer are barbarisms. [Fowler]

speedometer in Science

speedometer

(spĭ-dŏm'ĭ-tər)
An instrument for indicating the speed of a vehicle, typically by measuring the rate of rotation of a wheel or fan whose rate of rotation depends on the speed of the vehicle. Compare odometer.

speedometer in Technology

A pattern of lights displayed on a linear set of LEDs (today) or nixie tubes (yesterday, on ancient mainframes). The pattern is shifted left every N times the operating system goes through its main loop. A swiftly moving pattern indicates that the system is mostly idle; the speedometer slows down as the system becomes overloaded. The speedometer on Sun Microsystems hardware bounces back and forth like the eyes on one of the Cylons from the wretched "Battlestar Galactica" TV series.
Historical note: One computer, the GE 600 (later Honeywell 6000) actually had an *analog* speedometer on the front panel, calibrated in instructions executed per second.
[Jargon File]

Encyclopedia Article for speedometer

instrument that indicates the speed of a vehicle, usually combined with a device known as an odometer that records the distance traveled.

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