/ ˈæbəkəs; NAmE / noun
( pl. aba·cuses / -kəsɪz; NAmE /) a frame with small balls which slide along wires. It is used as a tool or toy for counting.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (denoting a board strewn with sand on which to draw figures): from Latin , from Greek abax , abak- slab, drawing board, of Semitic origin; probably related to Hebrew 'āḇāq dust.