dashboard

n. area in the front of the passenger cabin of a car where the speed indicator and the controls to air vents and other systems are located

A dashboard, dash, and sometimes fascia (chiefly in British English) is a control panel located under the windshield of an automobile. It contains instrumentation and controls pertaining to operation of the vehicle. Originally, a "dashboard" was the upturned front of a horse-drawn chariot or wagon, which protected the driver from mud and debris thrown up by horse's hooves.
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Noun
1. protective covering consisting of a panel to protect people from the splashing water or mud etc.
(synonym) splashboard, splasher
(hypernym) protective covering, protective cover, protection
(part-holonym) vehicle
2. instrument panel on an automobile or airplane containing dials and controls
(hypernym) control panel, instrument panel, control board, board, panel

n. dashboard, area in the front of the passenger cabin of a car where the speed indicator and the controls to air vents and other systems are located

(n.)
The float of a paddle wheel.
  

(n.)
A screen at the bow af a steam launch to keep off the spray; -- called also sprayboard.
  

(n.)
A board placed on the fore part of a carriage, sleigh, or other vehicle, to intercept water, mud, or snow, thrown up by the heels of the horses; -- in England commonly called splashboard.