dash ‧ board /ˈdæʃbɔːd $ -bɔːrd/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ dash 1 'to strike with small drops of liquid' (17-19 centuries) + board (because it was originally a board to stop mud getting into a vehicle) ]
the part of a car in front of the driver, which has controls on it