ready reckoner
- noun
- UK
:
calculadora rápida
- Before calculators, a ready reckoner was essential for shopkeepers working out prices.
Examples
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The accountant reached for his ready reckoner to check the latest conversion rates.
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She found an old ready reckoner among her grandfather's business books.
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I always keep a ready reckoner in my office.
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The ready reckoners provided by the bank are very useful.
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Shopkeepers often relied on a ready reckoner to quickly calculate prices during busy hours.
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He brought a ready reckoner to the meeting to help everyone understand the interest rates.
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Before the invention of computers, a ready reckoner was a vital tool for making calculations.
Synonyms
A book of tables that helps you calculate and convert numbers
How Quick
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'ready' (immediately available) modifies 'reckoner' (a tool or book for reckoning/calculations), yielding a calculation aid that is ready to use. This adjective + noun composition follows normal English combinatory patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Ready reckoner comes from the two words ready and reckoner, meaning a book kept 'ready' to help you 'reckon' or 'calculate' quickly. Shopkeepers used these small books with tables of prices and weights, so today it means a handy manual for quick calculations.