abacus Hear it!

abacus definition

aba·cus (ab′ə kəs; occas. ə bak′əs)

noun pl. abacuses ab′a·cuses or abaci ab′a·ci′ (-sī′)

  1. a frame with beads or balls that can be slid on wires or in slots, for doing or teaching arithmetic
  2. Archit. a slab forming the uppermost part of the capital of a column

Etymology: L < Gr abax (gen. abakos), counting board, slab

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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