odometer
noun
odom·e·ter ō-ˈdä-mə-tər 
: an instrument for measuring the distance traveled (as by a vehicle)
Did you know?
Odometer includes the root from the Greek word hodos, meaning "road" or "trip". An odometer shares space on your dashboard with a speedometer, a tachometer, and maybe a "tripmeter". The odometer is what crooked car salesmen tamper with when they want to reduce the mileage a car registers as having traveled. One of life's little pleasures is watching the odometer as all the numbers change at the same time.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Despite 46,000 miles logged on the odometer, this DBS seems well cared for and includes recent services including fresh tires. 
Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 2 Sep. 2022 The total diameter of the wheel and tire should stay the same to keep the odometer and speedometer accurate — but that means as wheels get bigger, tires get thinner. Nerdwallet, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2022 The car, which has 5,000 miles on the odometer, is powered by a period-correct 3.0-liter V-6 that sends power to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2022 The one shown here shows only 1200 miles on the odometer and is up for online auction with Bring a Trailer. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 8 Aug. 2022 An 11-mile difference between when Daniel's airbags deployed and the reading on the odometer, suggesting that Jeep was driven after the initial crash. Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 27 July 2022 These annual road trips — the latest one put 7,000 miles on the odometer — are a far cry from what Stephon did at Karsyn’s age, when summers meant going to West Virginia to stay with some cousins. John Kelly, Washington Post, 12 July 2022 The five-digit odometer reads 12,000 miles, although the true mileage is lost to time. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 6 July 2022 The date of transfer shows June 6, 2014, when the bike’s odometer read 18,500 miles. oregonlive, 31 May 2022 See More
Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 2 Sep. 2022 The total diameter of the wheel and tire should stay the same to keep the odometer and speedometer accurate — but that means as wheels get bigger, tires get thinner. Nerdwallet, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2022 The car, which has 5,000 miles on the odometer, is powered by a period-correct 3.0-liter V-6 that sends power to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2022 The one shown here shows only 1200 miles on the odometer and is up for online auction with Bring a Trailer. Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 8 Aug. 2022 An 11-mile difference between when Daniel's airbags deployed and the reading on the odometer, suggesting that Jeep was driven after the initial crash. Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 27 July 2022 These annual road trips — the latest one put 7,000 miles on the odometer — are a far cry from what Stephon did at Karsyn’s age, when summers meant going to West Virginia to stay with some cousins. John Kelly, Washington Post, 12 July 2022 The five-digit odometer reads 12,000 miles, although the true mileage is lost to time. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 6 July 2022 The date of transfer shows June 6, 2014, when the bike’s odometer read 18,500 miles. oregonlive, 31 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
French odomètre, from Greek hodometron, from hodos way, road + metron measure — more at measure
First Known Use
1791, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
odometer
noun
odom·e·ter ō-ˈdä-mə-tər
: an instrument for measuring the distance traveled (as by a vehicle)
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