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Meaning of "Napier's bones" in the English dictionary

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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD NAPIER'S BONES

Based on a method invented by John Napier.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF NAPIER'S BONES

Napier's bones play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF NAPIER'S BONES

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Napier's bones is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES NAPIER'S BONES MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Napier's bones

Napier's bones

Napier's bones is a manually-operated calculating device created by John Napier of Merchiston for calculation of products and quotients of numbers. The method was based on Arab mathematics and the lattice multiplication used by Matrakci Nasuh in the Umdet-ul Hisab and Fibonacci's work in his Liber Abaci. The technique was also called Rabdology (from Greek ῥάβδoς, "rod" and -λογία, "study"). Napier published his version in 1617 in Rabdologiæ, printed in Edinburgh, Scotland, dedicated to his patron Alexander Seton. Using the multiplication tables embedded in the rods, multiplication can be reduced to addition operations and division to subtractions. More advanced use of the rods can even extract square roots. Note that Napier's bones are not the same as logarithms, with which Napier's name is also associated. The complete device usually includes a base board with a rim; the user places Napier's rods inside the rim to conduct multiplication or division. The board's left edge is divided into 9 squares, holding the numbers 1 to 9. The Napier's rods consist of strips of wood, metal or heavy cardboard.

Definition of Napier's bones in the English dictionary

The definition of Napier's bones in the dictionary is a set of graduated rods formerly used for multiplication and division.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE NAPIER'S BONES

Napier
Napierian logarithm
napiform
napkin
napkin rash
napkin ring
Naples
Naples yellow
napless
napoleon
Napoleon I
Napoleon II
Napoleon III
Napoleonic
Napoleonic Code

WORDS THAT END LIKE NAPIER'S BONES

a bag of bones
ambones
bare-bones
bones
crossbones
earphones
feel in one´s bones
headphones
Jones
knucklebones
lazybones
let bygones be bygones
marrowbones
rackabones
Rolling Stones
sawbones
skull and crossbones
Stones
turbinate bones
umbones

Synonyms and antonyms of Napier's bones in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «Napier's bones» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
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TRANSLATION OF NAPIER'S BONES

Find out the translation of Napier's bones to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of Napier's bones from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «Napier's bones» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

纳皮尔的骨头
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

Huesos de Napier
570 millions of speakers

English

Napier´s bones
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

नेपियर हड्डियों
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

عظام نابير
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

Кости Непера
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

Os ossos de Napier
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

নেপিয়ারের হাড়
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

Les os de Napier
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Tulang Napier
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Napier Knochen
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

ネイピアの骨
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

네이피어 의 뼈
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Balung Napier
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

Xương Napier
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

நேப்பியர் எலும்புகள்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

नेपियरची हाडे
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Napier´in kemikleri
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

Ossa di Napier
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

Napier kości
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

Кістки Непера
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

Oasele Napier lui
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

Κόκαλα του Napier
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

Napier se bene
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

Napier ben
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

Napier ben
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of Napier's bones

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «NAPIER'S BONES»

The term «Napier's bones» is used very little and occupies the 177.189 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
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100%
FREQUENCY
Rarely used
17
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «Napier's bones» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of Napier's bones
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «Napier's bones».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «NAPIER'S BONES» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «Napier's bones» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «Napier's bones» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about Napier's bones

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «NAPIER'S BONES»

Discover the use of Napier's bones in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to Napier's bones and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Napier's Bones
What if, in a world where mathematics could be magic, the thing you desired most was also trying to kill you?
Derryl Murphy, 2012
2
Marvels of Math: Fascinating Reads and Awesome Activities
Make a set of Napier's Bones and use them to solve the multiplication problem 7239 x 47. A sample problem is shown (page 1 5 1 ) for you to use as a guide. Instructions are below. Answer: Compare your answer with those of other students ...
Kendall F. Haven, 1998
3
Basic Computer Programming
1.2 Analog Machines & Napier's Bones John Napier, the Scottish mathematician, devised a set of rods for use in calculations involving multiplications. These rods were carved from bones and, therefore, called Napier's Bones. Fig. 1.2. shows ...
V.K. Jain, 1989
4
Computers: The Life Story of a Technology
Napier's bones only became known after his death in 1617 because Napier did not believe them worthy of publication. Once published in Rabdologia, however, many inventors furthered his work by creating more sophisticated sets of “bones.
Eric G. Swedin, David L. Ferro, 2007
5
Napier's Bones
More advanced use of the rods can even extract square roots. Note that Napier's bones are not the same as logarithms, with which Napier's name is also associated.
Jesse Russell, Ronald Cohn, 2012
6
Hands on History: A Resource for Teaching Mathematics
... page xvi], he concluded that pen and paper was preferable to any mechanical device for computation. Even back then, hand held calculators such as Napier's bones were controversial. Following the order John Napier chose in Rabdologia,  ...
Amy Shell-Gellasch, 2007
7
New Perspectives on Computer Concepts 2014: Comprehensive
Each of these Each of these beads represents beads represents the quantity “10. ” the quantity “1.” FIGURE 9-2 Other manual calculators include the oddly named Napier's Bones and the slide rule. John Napier, the Scottish Laird of Merchiston,  ...
June Jamrich Parsons, Dan Oja, 2013
8
Scientific Instruments, 1500-1900: An Introduction
Napier's Bones The techniques of adding and subtracting were well established from antiquity, but by the 16th century it became necessary to develop the new technique of multiplication, for navigation and surveying. This was not possible ...
‎1998
9
The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of ...
[Napier's Bones.] Napier died at Merchiston on the 3rd or 4th of April, 1617 (not 1618), old style, and was interred in the cathedral church of St. Giles at Edinburgh. On the eastern side of the cathedral is a stone tablet with a Latin inscription, ...
‎1839
10
Financial Accounting
Napier's Bones (1614) Napier's bones are the rods used for calculating purposes . This device (a set of rods) was invented by a Scottish mathematician John Napier in 1614. A complete set of Napier's bones consists of eleven rectangular rods ...
Dr. RS Singal

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «NAPIER'S BONES»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term Napier's bones is used in the context of the following news items.
1
New books party: Books that arrived recently
Napier's inventive mathematical ideas also include formulas for solving spherical triangles, “Napier's Bones” (a more basic but extremely ... «The Guardian, Nov 14»
2
Scotland's vote for independence: 7 things we can thank the Scots for
Interestingly, Napier invented a manually-operated calculating device called the Napier's Bones. John-Napier_WiKi. 7. Scotch: Scotch whiskey ... «Firstpost, Sep 14»
3
Scottish independence vote: A look back at Scotland's greatest …
He also invented a portable calculating tool — 'Napier's bones' — an abacus to calculate products and quotients of numbers. Comment on this ... «NEWS.com.au, Sep 14»
4
Healing has the right formula for getting kids into maths
She also explained some of the new teaching methods used in long multiplication, which can also be known as Napier's Bones or Chinese ... «Grimsby Telegraph, Feb 14»
5
John Napier to tax modern minds 400 years on
His famous mechanical device “Napier's Bones” was a set of rods – made out of wood or ivory – which were inscribed with multiplication tables, ... «Scotsman, Jan 14»
6
Rare French 17th-century 'pocket' calculator set for London sale
The calculator used a logarithm called “Napier's bones”, a type of abacus named for the Scottish mathematician John Napier, and was capable ... «The Express Tribune, Aug 13»
7
Rare French 17th-century "pocket" calculator set for London sale
The calculator used a logarithm called "Napier's bones", a type of abacus named for the Scottish mathematician John Napier, and was capable ... «Reuters, Aug 13»
8
Scottish fact of the week: John Napier, discoverer of logarithms
Moreover, he invented a type of abacus for multiplication called Napier's Bones. Merchiston Tower, the mathematician's birthplace, is now part ... «Scotsman, Mar 13»
9
Gyan Niketan students showcase talent
Among the mathematics projects, Divyanshu presented abacus, Shubham Tiwary presented Napier's bones through which multiplications ... «Times of India, Dec 12»
10
So, what have the Scots ever done for us? Just 101 of the …
And Napier, the 8th Laird of Merchiston, also invented "Napier's bones" – an abacus to calculate products and quotients of numbers. Deep-fried ... «The Independent, Jan 12»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Napier's bones [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/napiers-bones>. Apr 2024 ».
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