What is "abacus"

Abacus \Ab"a*cus\ ([a^]b"[.a]*k[u^]s), n.; E. pl. Abacuses; L. pl. Abaci (-s[imac]). [L. abacus, abax, Gr. 'a`bax]

1. A table or tray strewn with sand, anciently used for drawing, calculating, etc. [Obs.]

2. A calculating table or frame; an instrument for performing arithmetical calculations by balls sliding on wires, or counters in grooves, the lowest line representing units, the second line, tens, etc. It is still employed in China.

3. (Arch.)

   1. The uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave. See Column.

   2. A tablet, panel, or compartment in ornamented or mosaic work.

4. A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments, for holding cups, bottles, or the like; a kind of cupboard, buffet, or sideboard.

   Abacus harmonicus (Mus.), an ancient diagram showing the structure and disposition of the keys of an instrument.
   --Crabb.

late 14c., "sand table for drawing, calculating, etc.," from Latin abacus, from Greek abax (genitive abakos) "counting table," from Hebrew abaq "dust," from root a-b-q "to fly off." Originally a drawing board covered with dust or sand that could be written on to do mathematical equations. Specific reference to a counting frame is 17c. or later.

n. 1 (context obsolete English) A table or tray strewn with sand, anciently used for drawing, calculating, etc. (Attested from around 1350 (1387) until around 1470.)(R:CDOE: page=2). 2 A calculating table or frame; an instrument for performing arithmetical calculations by balls sliding on wires, or counters in grooves, the lowest line representing units, the second line, tens, etc. (First attested in the late 17^th century.)(R:SOED5: page=2) 3 (context architecture English) The uppermost portion of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave. (First attested in the mid 16^th century.) 4 A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments, for holding cups, bottles, or the like; a kind of cupboard, buffet, or sideboard. (First attested in the late 18^th century.)

1. n: a tablet placed horizontally on top of the capital of a column as an aid in supporting the architrave

2. a calculator that performs arithmetic functions by manually sliding counters on rods or in grooves

3. [also: abaci (pl)]

The abacus (plural abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool that was in use in Europe, China and Russia, centuries before the adoption of the written Hindu–Arabic numeral system and is still used by merchants, traders and clerks in some parts of Eastern Europe, Russia, China and Africa. Today, abaci are often constructed as a bamboo frame with beads sliding on wires, but originally they were beans or stones moved in grooves in sand or on tablets of wood, stone, or metal.

In architecture, an abacus (from the Greek abax, slab; or French abaque, tailloir; plural abacuses or abaci) is a flat slab forming the uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, above the bell. Its chief function is to provide a large supporting surface, tending to be wider than the capital, to receive the weight of the arch or the architrave above. The diminutive of abacus, abaculus, is used to describe small mosaic tiles, also called abaciscus or tessera, used to create ornamental floors with detailed patterns of chequers or squares in a tessellated pavement.

Abacus: A Journal of Accounting, Finance and Business Studies is a peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Accounting Foundation ( University of Sydney). It was established in 1965 and the editor-in-chief is Stewart Jones (University of Sydney).

An abacus is a counting frame.

Abacus may also refer to:

• Mental abacus, mental calculation method inspired by the abacus
• Logical abacus, an early mechanical digital computer
• Abacus (architecture), a flat slab forming the uppermost member or division of the capital of a column
• Abacus checkers, a two-player Chinese game played on a Suanpan abacus
• Abacus Harmonicus, an ancient diagram showing the structure and placement of the keys of a particular musical instrument
• as (part of) a proper name
  • Abacus (GDS), a global distribution system used in travel
  • Abacus (journal), a peer-reviewed academic journal
  • Abacus, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company
  • Abacus, a Zagat-rated restaurant in Dallas, Texas, owned by chef Kent Rathbun
  • Abacus Software, a producer of payware add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • Abacus 5, an action sports manufacturing and distribution company headquartered in Shanghai
  • Abacus Records, an imprint of Century Media Records
  • Abacus school, a type of Renaissance-era Italian trade school
  • Abacus Federal Savings Bank, an overseas Chinese bank in the United States
  • Abacus-2007AC1, a financial instrument and the subject of SEC v. Goldman Sachs, et al. (2010)
  • Operation Abacus, the Canadian military operation to restore vital services if the year 2000 caused disruption
  • Abacus–Australian Mutuals, the industry body representing the credit unions, building societies and mutual banks that constitute the Australian mutual or cooperative banking sector
  • Abacus (band), a heavy metal band formed in 2005 from northern Ontario, Canada.