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tabulator

American  
[tab-yuh-ley-ter] / ˈtæb yəˌleɪ tər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that tabulates.

  2. tab.


tabulator British  
/ ˈtæbjʊˌleɪtə /

noun

  1. a device for setting the automatic stops that locate the column margins on a typewriter

  2. computing a machine that reads data from one medium, such as punched cards, producing lists, tabulations, or totals, usually on a continuous sheet of paper

  3. any machine that tabulates data

"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

Etymology

Origin of tabulator

First recorded in 1880–85; tabulate + -or 2

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.

The warrant served on the Fulton County election center sought ballots, tabulator tapes, digital data and voter rolls, which it alleged might constitute “evidence of the commission of a criminal offense.”

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2026

He sees the worst-case scenario as local election officials having to resort to hand counting because a tabulator has failed and they don’t have access to a backup.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2024

A brief, tense exchange flared when Woodall-Vogg opened a panel on one tabulator, bumping the power cord and inadvertently unplugging it.

From Washington Post • Nov. 9, 2022

The worker told voters that if their ballot is rejected, they can have the ballot read manually or in a tabulator later.

From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2022

The Hollerith tabulator was the work of Herman Hollerith, who incorporated the Tabulating Machine Company at the end of the nineteenth century.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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