Electronic Brain
Preserved but no longer current.
An inaccurate term invented by newspaper journalists to describe a calcu- lating machine in which the ordinary mechani- cal processes of reckoning are performed by the employment of thermionic valves.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Electronic Brain” mean?
An inaccurate term invented by newspaper journalists to describe a calcu- lating machine in which the ordinary mechani- cal processes of reckoning are performed by the employment of thermionic valves.
Is “Electronic Brain” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.