counting rod

counting rod

English

Etymology

Calque of Chinese 算籌／算筹 (suànchóu).

Noun

counting rod (plural counting rods)

1. (mathematics) One of a set of small bars, used by mathematicians in some Asian countries, placed either horizontally or vertically to represent any number and any fraction.
   • [1983, Mei, Rongzhao, “The Decimal Place-Value Numeration and the Rod and Bead Arithmetics”, in 中国古代科技成就 [Ancient China's Technology and Science] (China Knowledge Series)‎, Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, →ISBN, OCLC 696740428, pages 58-59:

     In recent archaeological excavations a number of ancient counting-rods have been unearthed. More than 30 rods were found in August 1971 in Qianyang County of Shaanxi Province.]

Translations

small bar

Chinese: Mandarin: 算籌／算筹 (zh) (suànchóu), 算子 (zh) (suànzǐ) Finnish: laskupuikko French: baguette à calculer (fr) f Japanese: 算木 (ja) (sangi), 算籌 (sanchū) Korean: 산가지 (san'gaji), 산목 (sanmok)

See also

• rod numeral

Anagrams

• undoctoring