odometer

noun

odom·​e·​ter ō-ˈdä-mə-tər How to pronounce odometer (audio)
: 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.

Examples of odometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the car did have 8,435 miles on the odometer because Ford said journalists had driven it over the years. Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025 In early 2022, a Syclone with just 250 miles on the odometer sold for $108,000 on Bring a Trailer. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2025 But the car did have 8,435 miles on the odometer because Ford said journalists had driven it over the years. Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 21 Oct. 2025 Age and mileage limits Omega Auto Care accepts vehicles that are under 15 years old or that have under 250,000 miles on the odometer. Brian Sloan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for odometer

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of odometer was in 1791

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Odometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/odometer. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

odometer

noun
odom·​e·​ter ō-ˈdäm-ət-ər How to pronounce odometer (audio)
: an instrument for measuring distance traveled (as by a vehicle)

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