halfsubtracter
nounUK /ˈhɑːf səbˌtræktə/
US /ˈhæf səbˌtræktər/
A half subtracter is a small machine in a computer that takes away one bit from another and tells you the answer and if it had to borrow.
The half subtracter showed that one minus one is zero with no borrow.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A logic circuit that subtracts two single binary digits and outputs a difference and a borrow.
Engineers built the half subtracter from an XOR gate and an AND gate.
3. A teaching model used to explain binary subtraction step by step.
The class used a paper half subtracter to practice taking away bits.
4. A component in a larger subtracter that handles only the lowest bit position.
The full subtracter chain starts with a half subtracter at the least significant bit.