calculator

«calculator» in Mova's school dictionary: a small electronic machine for doing sums and other maths… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a calculator, calculators)

meaning for a pupil

1) A calculator is a small electronic machine for doing sums and other maths quickly. tree →

2) A calculator can also be a computer program or phone app that does the same thing. tree →

sense in the lessons

In maths lessons pupils use calculators for big or hard sums and to check answers, but must also learn mental and written methods; in some tests calculators are not allowed. A sensible estimate first helps you spot when you pressed a wrong key. Phrases: «calculator allowed», «use a calculator to check».

examples

• Use a calculator to check your answer. tree →
• Calculators are not allowed in this test. tree →
• I typed 25 × 4 into the calculator and got 100. tree →
• My phone has a calculator app. tree →
• Estimate first, then use the calculator. tree →
• The calculator needs a new battery. tree →

note

Countable. Spelled «calcul-ator» (ends in -or). Verb: calculate; noun: calculation. Trap: a calculator only gives the right answer if you type the right numbers and the right operation, so think about whether the answer makes sense.

In the corpora

• Some chatbots guess numbers like words, so big sums can come out wrong; check with a calculator.
• Schools are making rules about AI, like rules about calculators: read them, and when you are not sure, ask.
• Mia's dad has a good rule: using AI for homework is like using a calculator.
• Learn a skill first, then use tools to check it, the way you use a calculator.
• Indian mathematicians treated zero as a real number, and the digits 0 to 9 on your calculator were invented in India.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «calculator» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.