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adder

adder

8.4
A device inside a computer or calculator that finds the total of numbers
  • noun
  • /ˈædər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sumador
  • The G4 system included an eight-digit decimal adder and performed add, subtract, and compare operations in hardware.
  • carry-lookahead adder
  • lookahead adder
  • bit adder

Dead simple, unsigned addition, no twos compliment, nothing silly, just straightforward vanilla binary adder.

Examples

  • To minimize data dependencies, the upper portion of the second unit has a three-input adder.

    Academic text (1994)
  • So what we can do is connect the carry out of one adder to the carry in of the other.

  • So if we could build this circuit, we would have the full binary adder and you can build this.

  • Each unit contains an adder and a logic functional unit.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In such cases, the execution unit sets the carry-in bit to the adder during the execute cycle.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The output of the adder is driven to the FC1 and FC3 registers.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Each unit contains one adder and one logic unit (LU) functional block.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The calculator includes a built-in adder to quickly sum two numbers.

  • In computer architecture, an adder is essential for performing arithmetic operations.

  • The engineer explained how the circuit uses an adder to calculate the total accurately.

Synonyms

calculator
vsadder
81 1.3

A small electronic device for doing math like adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

focuses narrowly on addition and often acts as a computer component
adding machine
vsadder
  • Archaic
2 3.9

A machine that adds and subtracts numbers used for money

is limited to adding only often inside computing hardware
totalizer
vsadder
  • Archaic
8.2

A device or calculator that adds numbers to show a total

is a component inside computers focused only on adding numbers

Compounds

puff adder
  • South African
1 9.3

A large African snake that swells its body when threatened and has strong venom

A harmless tan and brown snake with an arrow-shaped spot on its head and sometimes red stripes

death adder
  • Australian
9.3

A dangerous Australian snake with strong venom and a thick body that strikes quickly

banded adder
  • Indian
9.8

A venomous snake with black and yellow bands that moves slowly and avoids people

9.9

A harmless tan and brown snake often with red stripes and an arrow spot on its head

8.6

A harmless North American snake with a nose that points up that spreads its head or plays dead when scared

Surface Forms

adder singular
adders plural

Morphology

adder = add (transparent) = add + er

This is a regular suffixal formation meaning 'one/device that adds', so the sense is directly recoverable from 'add' + '-er'.

Etymology

Adder for a machine comes from the verb add and the ending -er, meaning 'one who does'. So an adder is literally 'one that adds', which is why calculators and computer circuits that add numbers are called adders.