abacus

n. a frame with beads sliding on wires, used for counting and math.

n. a manual calculating device consisting of a frame with beads or counters sliding on rods.

“The children learned how to add large numbers using a wooden abacus.”

“Before the widespread adoption of electronic calculators, the abacus remained a primary tool for rapid arithmetic in many merchant cultures.”

n. the flat slab at the very top of a column that supports the weight above it.

n. the uppermost portion of a column capital, serving as a transition between the column and the architrave.

“The architect pointed to the square abacus resting on top of the decorated column.”

“In the Doric order, the abacus is a simple square slab, whereas in later styles it often features more elaborate moulding and decoration.”

Technical

n. an old type of table covered in sand used for drawing or math.

n. a historical table or tray scattered with sand, used in antiquity for performing calculations or geometric drawings.

“The scholar studied how ancient Greeks used a sand abacus for geometry.”

“Archaeological evidence suggests that the sand-covered abacus preceded the more familiar bead-and-rod frame as a tool for complex computation.”

Archaic · Technical