tabulator

n.

1. One that tabulates.
2. A machine that reads, sorts, and prints out information from punched cards.
3. A mechanism on a typewriter for setting automatic stops or margins for columns.
4. Computer Science. A device for reading data from punched cards and producing printed lists or totals of the result.

A punch card accounting machine that calculates totals and prints the results. Since the late 1800s, tabulators were used to accumulate totals and were later capable of printing. Countless invoices, checks and green-striped reports were printed on tabulating machines all the way up into the 1970s. See Hollerith machine and punch card.

The First Punch Card Tabulator

The U.S. census of 1890 was counted on tabulating machines designed by Herman Hollerith (on the wall). The card was placed in the reader, the handle was pulled down, and the data was tabulated on the dials. Then the appropriate lid opened up on the sorting box, and the punch card was dropped in. (Image courtesy of The Computer History Museum, www.computerhistory.org)

A Tabulator in the 1960s

Tabulating machines such as this IBM 407 (left) were used throughout the 1960s to print millions of reports, invoices and checks. IBM was the leading tabulating equipment vendor. (Image courtesy of International Business Machines Corporation. Unauthorized use not permitted.)

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IN BRIEF: One who counts, records, or lists systematically.

The game statistics were accurately kept by the same tabulator each week.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a calculator that keeps a record of the number of times something happens
  Synonym: counter

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - tabulator

Nederlands (Dutch)
hulpmiddel op typemachine om tabs te maken, tabulator

Français (French)
n. - tabulateur, tabulatrice, tableautier

Deutsch (German)
n. - Tabulator, (EDV) Tabelliermaschine

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - στηλογνώμονας (γραφομηχανής κ.λπ.)

Italiano (Italian)
tabulatore

Português (Portuguese)
n. - tabulador (m)

Русский (Russian)
Табулятор (пишущих машин), приспособление, автоматически составляющее таблицы

Español (Spanish)
n. - tabulador

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tabulator

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
制表员, 跳格键, 制表定位装置, 制表机

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 製表員, 跳格鍵, 製表定位裝置, 製表機

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 도표 작성자

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 図表作成者, タビュレーター

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) منظم ألجداول - ماكنه منظمه للجداول‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮טבלר - אדם העורך טבלות או רשימות, מתקן במכונת-כתיבה/מקלדת לדילוג למקום כתיבה שנקבע מראש, מלווחת - מכונה מיושנת היוצרת טבלות ורשימות ממאגר נתונים‬

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