What does "hub" mean?
The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave.
Hub
/hʌb/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave.
- Grammar: hub is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: animal cell nucleus, approach, arbor, asymptote.
- Useful contrasts: blade, edge, endpoint.
- Usage evidence: If you combine them in this way, you get a 14 port USB hub.
How to use "hub"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hub" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hub" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hub" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hub" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hub" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "animal cell nucleus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hub", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave.
"If you need to reload film, the cassette can be rewound slightly by turning the hub located on one end of its spool."
- 2 the central part of a car wheel (or fan or propeller etc.) through which the shaft or axle passes wordnet
- 3 A point where many routes meet and traffic is distributed, dispensed, or diverted.
"Hong Kong International Airport is one of the most important air traffic hubs in Asia."
- 4 a center of activity or interest or commerce or transportation; a focal point around which events revolve wordnet
- 5 A central facility providing a range of related services, such as a medical hub or an educational hub.
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 A computer networking device connecting several Ethernet ports. See switch.
- 7 A stake with a nail in it, used to mark a temporary point.
- 8 A male weasel; a buck; a dog; a jack.
- 9 A rough protuberance or projecting obstruction. US
"a hub in the road"
- 10 An area in a video game from which individual levels are accessed.
"In a break with tradition, these levels are tackled in any order, with the next act chosen from a semi-random selection machine located in the game's hub area."
- 11 A goal or mark at which quoits, etc., are thrown.
- 12 A hardened, engraved steel punch for impressing a device upon a die, used in coining, etc.
- 13 A screw hob.
- 14 A block for scotching a wheel.
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of Hub. alt-of
- 2 Nickname for Boston: a major city in Massachusetts, United States. informal
- 3 Pornhub. Internet, euphemistic
"It will eventually, the Hub will replace every video site since it has everything for let's plays to porn."
Example
"If you combine them in this way, you get a 14 port USB hub."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hub"?
Common synonyms include: animal cell nucleus, approach, arbor, asymptote, axis, axle.
How do you use "hub" in a sentence?
If you combine them in this way, you get a 14 port USB hub.
How do you pronounce "hub"?
Pronounced /hʌb/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
From hub.
Etymology 3
Clipping of Pornhub, from hub.