hub

American  

[huhb] / hʌb /

noun

1. the central part of a wheel, as that part into which the spokes are inserted.

2. the central part or axle end from which blades or spokelike parts radiate on various devices, as on a fan or propeller.

3. a center around which other things revolve or from which they radiate; a focus of activity, authority, commerce, transportation, etc..

   Chicago is a railroad hub.

   Synonyms:

   heart, pivot, core

4. the Hub, Boston, Massachusetts (used as a nickname).

5. the peg or hob used as a target in quoits and similar games.

6. any one of the holes in an electrical panel, into which connections may be plugged.

7. Computers. a device connecting others in a network and enabling communication among them by receiving data packets from any of the devices and broadcasting them to every device on the network irrespective of the intended destination: used primarily in small local area networks.

8. Coining. a design of hardened steel in relief, used as a punch in making a die.

9. Surveying. a stake bearing a tack used to mark a theodolite position.

10. Metalworking. a die forced into a metal blank.

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verb (used with object)

hubbed, hubbing

1. Metalworking. to stamp (a metal blank) with a hub.

hub British  

/ hʌb /

noun

1. the central portion of a wheel, propeller, fan, etc, through which the axle passes

2. the focal point

3. computing a device for connecting computers in a network

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Etymology

Origin of hub

First recorded in 1505–15; perhaps variant of hob ¹

Explanation

A hub is the center of a wheel or the center of some kind of activity. If all of an airline's flights go through Atlanta, you'd say the southern city is their hub. You know how a lot of activity is called a hubbub? That makes sense when you consider that a hub, in a wheel or otherwise, is the center of whatever's going on. Southern California has long been a hub of the computer industry, and Detroit used to be the hub of the auto industry. Busy airports like the ones in Chicago and Atlanta are called hubs. Any hub is important, because it's right in the middle of all the action.

Example Sentences

Glasgow signed up to the Home Office's dispersal scheme in 1999, making it a key hub for people being housed after arriving in the UK seeking asylum.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Another massive piece, “Kumbi Saleh 3020 CE,” resurrects the medieval city of Kumbi Saleh, the capital of the ancient Ghanaian empire, as a gleaming, futuristic hub.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

By 1955, half of U.S. households owned a set, usurping radio as the nation’s primary entertainment hub.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The discount is a temporary measure that applies to daytime flights only from April 27 through March 2027, announced the airport, Europe's fourth-busiest hub.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

As the wheel began to turn, loose nuts and bolts and a couple of wrenches rained from its hub and spokes.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• nerve center