slipstick
- noun
- /ˈslɪpˌstɪk/
- Archaic
- He made a few quick calculations with his slipstick and jotted down the results on a pad on the arm of his space chair.
Examples
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He put his slipstick away.
Fiction book (1996) -
The engineer quickly used his slipstick to calculate the necessary measurements for the project.
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In the classroom, the teacher demonstrated how to use a slipstick for solving complex equations.
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Before electronic calculators were common, many students relied on a slipstick for their math exams.
Synonyms
A long thin tool with sliding scales that people use to do quick math before calculators
A small portable tool with sliding parts for quick calculations or finding information
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word slipstick comes from slip ('slide') and stick ('thin bar'), so it means a 'sliding stick'. It refers to the old tool called a slide rule, a ruler-like device you move to do quick calculations, and that's why engineers used it before electronic calculators.