/ hʌb; NAmE / noun
1.
[ usually sing. ] hub (of sth) the central and most important part of a particular place or activity :
the commercial hub of the city
to be at the hub of things (= where things happen and important decisions are made)
a hub airport (= a large important one where people often change from one plane to another)
2.
the central part of a wheel
—picture at bicycle
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WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent. (denoting a shelf at the side of a fireplace used for heating pans): of unknown origin (compare with hob ).