Probably of Babylonian origin, an abacus is a calculating instrument that uses beads that slide along a series of wires or rods set in a frame to represent the decimal places.

Abacus-based mental calculation (AMC), which was derived from the abacus, is the act of performing calculations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, in the mind …

Machines for calculating fixed numerical tasks such as the abacus have existed since antiquity, aiding in computations such as multiplication and division. Their abacus blocks are decorated …

Nov 17, 2025 · Abacus, calculating device, probably of Babylonian origin, that was long important in commerce. It is the ancestor of the modern calculating machine and computer.

ABACUS definition: a device for making arithmetic calculations, consisting of a frame set with rods on which balls or beads are moved. See examples of abacus used in a sentence.

An abacus is a frame used for counting. It has rods with sliding beads on them. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Definition of abacus noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

abacus, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

The first known use of the word abacus in English, found in a Middle English work written before 1387, refers to a kind of sand-board abacus that was used according to techniques that …

Nov 1, 2025 · What Is an Abacus? Both a historical and modern tool, an abacus is a calculation tool used by sliding counters along rods or grooves in order to perform mathematical functions.