ハブ
はぶ
noun
hub, center
1.
hub, center, nexus
A central point of activity, connection, or distribution. Used for transportation hubs, network hubs, and figurative centers of activity.
Usage
ハブ is most commonly used in transportation (ハブ空港, hub airport) and technology (USBハブ, USB hub) contexts. It can also be used figuratively for any central point of activity or connection.
Watch out
ハブ also refers to a venomous pit viper (波布) native to Okinawa, but that is a different word.
ハブる (slang) means 'to exclude someone from a group' and is derived from 省く, not from the English 'hub.'