adding machine
adding machine — noun
1. a machine, usually an early mechanical or electronic one, that adds numbers toge
a machine, usually an early mechanical or electronic one, that adds numbers together when you press its buttons — commonly found in offices and shops before modern electronic calculators became widely available.
Talia found an old adding machine in the back of the office, covered in dust.
old adding machine — adjective + compound noun
Before modern computers, shop workers used adding machines to keep track of daily sales.
use + adding machine + infinitive of purpose
The museum displayed a 1950s adding machine with rows of metal keys.
Adding machines were still used by older accountants until the late 1980s.
- calculator
modern and more general; includes both simple and programmable electronic devices
- totalisator
a specialised adding machine used to calculate bets at racetracks; rare in everyday use
- comptometer
a specific trademarked brand of key-driven adding machine; now used historically only