Abaculus
/əˈbækjʊləs/noun
A small tile or cube used in mosaic work, especially in Roman and later decorative art.
Did you know?Roman mosaicists used abaculi—small colored cubes of stone or glass—to construct images whose visual power depended on precise geometric arrangement.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄβαξ (abax)
“A board or tablet, especially one used for calculation; the deeper origin is uncertain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
abacus
“A counting board, table, or architectural slab borrowed from Greek.”
Classical Latin
Latin
abaculus
“A diminutive of abacus: a small board, tile, or cube.”
Late Latin
Latin
abaculus
“A small tessera or mosaic piece used in decorative surfaces.”
Modern English
English
abaculus
“A small mosaic tile or cube, chiefly a technical term in archaeology and art history.”