hub

Definition

The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave.

Etymology

From earlier hubbe, which has the same immediate origin as hob. Hub was originally a dialectal word; its ultimate origin is unknown. Compare German Hubbel (“bump on a surface”), from Proto-West Germanic *hubil (“bump, hill”) (which contains a diminutive suffix *-il); compare English hive, or perhaps ultimately from the same root as hip or hop.

Example Sentences

• "If you need to reload film, the cassette can be rewound slightly by turning the hub located on one end of its spool."
• "Hong Kong International Airport is one of the most important air traffic hubs in Asia."
• "From the ground, Colombo's port does not look like much.[…] But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka's capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India's southern tip."