Word of the day: hubodometer

Just wanted to share a word with you: hubodometer.

Wikipedia seems to favour 'hubometer' but I prefer the longer version simply for the way it sounds. My Concise OED doesn't give either.

So where does the stress fall in 'hubodometer'? Probably on the third syllable (following the pattern of 'odometer') but possibly on the first. And possibly either, as with 'necessarily'. At least, I hope that's the case.

And what does 'hubodometer' mean? Well, when a word amuses me this much, I don't really care. But if you must know, it's an odometer (mileometer) fitted to a semi-trailer axle (for example) to measure the distance travelled.

2 comments:

TootsNYC said...

I'd put the stress on "dom," bcs I'd think of it as an odometer that is attached to the wheel's hub.

A "hubometer" sounds like something Terry Pratchett would invent for his books.

In fact, in my own publication, I probably wouldn' combine the two words; I'd leave them two "hub odometer."

If I worked for I'd think of it as industry jargon and make it one word.

The Ridger, FCD said...

I imagine it has primary stress on hub and secondary on dom, but I can see it the other way 'round, too.

Because it looks like "hub odometer" tricked up to be a brand name.