preelectronic en · ADJ
Etymology
From pre- + electronic.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) Before the introduction of electronics.
The preelectronic history of data processing in Britain represented a firmly feminized field of endeavor in the early and mid-20th century. Perceived as rote, deskilled work, women trainees were hired exclusively to operate and program the machines that performed payroll, accounting, and even scientific computations.
2011, Thomas J. Misa, Gender Codes: Why Women Are Leaving Computing, page 98: