dashboard

Etymology

From dash (“to sprinkle; to splatter”) + board for meaning 1. Possibly expanded meaning later.

noun

1. A panel beneath the windshield of a vehicle or aircraft containing indicator gauges, compartments, and sometimes controls and indicator lights.
   Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night / I can see paradise by the dashboard light 1977, Jim Steinman (lyrics and music), “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”, in Bat Out of Hell, performed by Meat Loaf
2. (historical) An upturned screen of wood or leather placed on the front of a horse-drawn carriage, sleigh or other vehicle that protected the driver from mud, debris, water and snow thrown up by the horse's hooves.
3. (graphical user interface, video games) A graphical user interface in the form of or resembling a motor car dashboard.
   Log in to the dashboard to change your account settings.
4. (nautical) The float of a paddle wheel.
5. (Internet) The personalized feed of a Tumblr user, consisting of recent posts by blogs they follow.
   It's so addictive, I all too often find myself just scrolling down my dashboard on Tumblr, finding things that other people have reblogged that appeal to me, reblogging, then continuing to scroll. 2012, "Grace", quoted in Jennifer Obee, Social Networking: The Ultimate Teen Guide, page 110
   I began following other fat-positive Tumblrs, and soon my dashboard was filled with positive representations of fatness: pictures, stories, quotes, and links to articles and blogs. 2014, Cat Pausé, “Express Yourself: Fat Activism in the Web 2.0 Age”, in Ragen Chastain, editor, The Politics of Size: Perspectives from the Fat Acceptance Movement, page 3
   Though I rarely use it anymore, absently scrolling through my dashboard acquainted me with many new people from all around the world, and it helped me understand myself in new ways. 2022, Barrie Shannon, Sex(uality) Education for Trans and Gender Diverse Youth in Australia, page 163

verb

1. To organize in a dashboard format.
   Dashboarding your work can enhance productivity.