Arithmometer

/ˌærɪˈθɑːmətər/ noun

Definition

An early mechanical calculator or computing device that performs arithmetic operations automatically.

Etymology

From Greek arithmos ('number') + metron ('measure'). The Arithmometer was a specific famous mechanical calculator invented in the 1820s.

Kelly Says

The Arithmometer was the first mass-produced mechanical calculator—it's a beautiful example of how 19th-century inventors tried to build machines that could think mathematically before electricity existed.

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