1. A
table or
tray strewn with sand, anciently used for drawing, calculating, etc.
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. The uppermost
member or
division of the capital of a column, immediately
under the architrave. See Column. 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, an
ancient diagram showing the structure and
disposition of the keys of an instrument.
Origin: L. Abacus, abax, Gr.
Source: Websters Vocabulary