Abacus, abaci. pen. breui. m.g geniti. Græco a)/bacIt is a plaine place made in a building of stone to sit on, a seate or benche of marble. Plin. Also a square table of slant set vpon the thapiters of pillars in building, Vitruuius. Also a counting table, such as Auditours or Arithmetricians doe vse, or, Astronomers descriue their figures in Martian. A chest bourd, or playing tables.Macrob.A cupbourde to set plate vpon. Iuuen.Totos dies abaco & latrunculis conterunt.They spende whole dayes in playing at tables or chestes.Abacus solis.The breadth or compasse of the bodie of the sunne as it appeareth to our sight. Cælius.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
ăbăcus, i (according to Prisc. 752 P. also ăbax, ăcis; cf. id. p. 688), m.,=a)/bac, akos, prop. a square tublet; hence, in partic., I.A sideboard, the top of which was made of marble, sometimes of silver, gold, or other precious material, chiefly used for the display of gold and silver vessels, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 16, 35; 2, 4, 25, 57; id. Tusc. 5, 21, 61; Varr. L. L. 9, 46 Mūll.; Plin. 37, 2, 6, 14; Juv. 3, 2-0-4: perh. also called mensae Delphicae, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 59 init. Zumpt; Mart. 12, 67. Accord. to Liv. 39, 6, 7, and Plin. 34, 3, 8, 14, Cn. Manlius Vulso flrst brought them from Asia to Rome, B.C. 187, in his triumph over the Galatae; cf. Becker, Gall. 2, p. 258 (2d edit.).—II.A gaming-board, divided into compurtments, for playing with dice or counters, Suet. Ner. 22; Macr. S. 1, 5.— III.A counting-table, covered with sand or dust, and used for arithmetical computation, Pers. 1, 131; App. Mag. p. 284; cf. Becker, Gall. 2, p. 65. —IV.A wooden tray, Cato, R. R. 10, 4.—V.A painted panel or square compariment in the wall or ceiling of a chamber, Vitr. 7, 3, 10; Plin. 33, 12, 56, 159; 35, 1, 1, 3, and 35, 6, 13, 32.—VI. In architecture, a fiat, square stone on the top of a column, immediately under the architrare, Vitr. 3, 5, 5 sq.; 4, 1, 11 sq.