abacus

[ ab-uh-kuhs, uh-bak-uhs ]

/ ˈæb ə kəs, əˈbæk əs /

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noun, plural ab·a·cus·es, ab·a·ci

[ab-uh-sahy, -kahy, uh-bak-ahy]. /ˈæb əˌsaɪ, -ˌkaɪ, əˈbæk aɪ/.

a device for making arithmetic calculations, consisting of a frame set with rods on which balls or beads are moved.

Architecture. a slab forming the top of the capital of a column.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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Origin of abacus

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin: board, counting board, re-formed <Greek ábax

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use abacus in a sentence

There is, however, evident sacrifice of sound principle in this system, the smaller abaci being of no use.
The Stones of Venice, Volume I (of 3)|John Ruskin
The capitals are boldly cut, with heavy square abaci, from which bosses and floral work protrude.
Cathedral Cities of Italy|William Wiehe Collins
They rest on the abaci of the pilasters which form a sort of drip-course right along the faade.
Cathedral Cities of Italy|William Wiehe Collins
The abaci are all square in plan, and both bases and caps are set at right angles to the direction of the arches they support.
Some Account of Gothic Architecture in Spain|George Edmund Street

There are string-courses under each window, and the abaci are also carried round the steeple as string-courses of inferior scale.
Some Account of Gothic Architecture in Spain|George Edmund Street

British Dictionary definitions for abacus

abacus

/ (ˈæbəkəs) /

noun plural -ci (-ˌsaɪ) or -cuses

a counting device that consists of a frame holding rods on which a specific number of beads are free to move. Each rod designates a given denomination, such as units, tens, hundreds, etc, in the decimal system, and each bead represents a digit or a specific number of digits

architect the flat upper part of the capital of a column

Word Origin for abacus

C16: from Latin, from Greek abax board covered with sand for tracing calculations, from Hebrew ābhāq dust

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

abacus

Origin of abacus

Words related to abacus

How to use abacus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for abacus

Word Origin for abacus