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soroban

American  
[sawr-uh-bahn] / ˈsɔr əˌbɑn /

noun

  1. a Japanese abacus of Chinese derivation.


Etymology

Origin of soroban

< Japanese < Chinese suànpan, equivalent to suàn count + pán board

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Western curriculum-smiths use the soroban as an instructional gimmick to teach place value and numbers; but there they drop it.

From Time Magazine Archive

Every day after school, Hanako sat in the cold living room practicing her soroban and kanji.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

“And I’m supposed to practice with the soroban tonight. The sensei gave me one.”

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

So Hanako sat down to concentrate on her soroban.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

It is called soroban; you find it in every store in Japan.

From A Japanese Boy by Shiukichi, Shigemi