Search
Select the dictionary language
Comptometer
01
a mechanical calculator developed in the late 19th century, featuring multiple rows of keys corresponding to digits
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Inanimate
Composition
Compound
Countable
Plural form
comptometers
What is a "comptometer"?
A comptometer is an early type of mechanical calculator that was widely used for business and accounting purposes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has a series of keys, each representing a number, and is used for performing arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The comptometer works by pressing keys to input numbers, and the device then automatically performs the calculations. It was a significant advancement over earlier calculating devices, as it allowed for faster and more efficient calculations.
Examples
In the early 20th century, offices relied on comptometers for fast and accurate calculations of financial data.
