odometer

[oh-dom-i-ter]

noun

1. an instrument for measuring distance traveled, as by an automobile.

odometer

/ ɒˈdɒmɪtə, əʊ- /

noun

1. Also called: mileometer. a device that records the number of miles that a bicycle or motor vehicle has travelled

odometer

1. An instrument for indicating the distance traveled by a vehicle, typically by measuring the number of rotations of a wheel or fan whose rate of rotation depends on the speed of the vehicle.

2. Compare speedometer

Other Word Forms

• odometry noun
• odometrical adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of odometer¹

1785–95, variant of hodometer < Greek hodó ( s ) way + -meter

Word History and Origins

Origin of odometer¹

C18 hodometer, from Greek hodos way + _-meter

Example Sentences

Shaun Thomas, 61, a bricklayer from Hastings, unknowingly bought a van from the group which had had nearly 100,000 miles taken off the odometer.

From BBC

He had the car checked for signs of odometer tampering but didn’t find any.

From Los Angeles Times

His stunning departure came just five years after winning a national championship and at a relatively youthful 55, with seemingly a few more hundred wins left on his coaching odometer.

From Los Angeles Times

And change isn’t always for the better, with every day another click on James’ odometer that will, in one of the NBA’s great mysteries, eventually max out.

From Los Angeles Times

The odometer showed the car had traveled 1,000 miles the week of the attack — the distance of a round trip to and from the lawyer’s block in Pacific Palisades.

From Los Angeles Times