analog computer

American  

noun

1. a computer that represents data by measurable quantities, as voltages or, formerly, the rotation of gears, in order to solve a problem, rather than by expressing the data as numbers.

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analog computer British  

noun

1. a mechanical, electrical, or electronic computer that performs arithmetical operations by using some variable physical quantity, such as mechanical movement or voltage, to represent numbers

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Etymology

Origin of analog computer

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50