instrument panel
Americannoun
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Also called instrument board. a panel on which are mounted an array of dials, lights, and gauges that monitor the performance of a machine or device, as an airplane.
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Automotive. dashboard.
noun
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a panel on which instruments are mounted, as on a car See also dashboard
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an array of instruments, gauges, etc, mounted to display the condition or performance of a machine or process
Etymology
Origin of instrument panel
First recorded in 1930–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first sign of it was on page 23 of the brochure for the 1989 Ford Thunderbird, which revealed a subtle feature on the car’s instrument panel: a white arrow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026
Tesla is recalling more than 2 million U.S. vehicles because some warning lights on the instrument panel are too small.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
“Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash,” the agency said in the notice.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
The CR-V’s 7- and 9-inch touchscreens are less impressive, and so is its instrument panel, which consists of a small digital screen and an analog speedometer.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2023
As my left boot reached the top of the instrument panel, it snagged briefly on something, and I began a slow face-down pitching motion.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
