location arithmetic

noun

A device and technique described in Napier's treatise Rabdologiæ for performing multiplication, division and extraction of square roots by using counters to represent numbers in binary.

OriginLatin arithmeticae localis →
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Meanings

nounlocation arithmetic (uncountable)
  1. uncountablearithmeticA device and technique described in Napier's treatise Rabdologiæ for performing multiplication, division and extraction of square roots by using counters to represent numbers in binary.

Origin

  1. Latinarithmeticae localis
  2. Englishlocation arithmetic

Calque of Latin arithmeticae localis, coined by Scottish landowner and mathematician John Napier (1550–1617) in his 1617 treatise Rabdologiæ (written in Latin).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Latin arithmeticæ localis
  • arithmeticæ localisdevice and technique to aid in performing arithmetic calculations
Cite this entry
APA

location arithmetic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/location%20arithmetic

MLA

“location arithmetic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/location%20arithmetic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “location arithmetic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/location%20arithmetic.

Source: location arithmetic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.