Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "algorism" shine tsarin yin lissafi ta hanyar amfani da lambobin larabci, ko fiye da haka, kowane tsarin ƙididdiga na lambobi. Har ila yau, a wasu lokuta ana amfani da shi azaman ma'anar kalmar "algorithm," wanda ke nufin hanyar mataki-mataki don warware matsala ko cimma wata manufa ta musamman. Kalmar “algorism” ta samo asali ne daga sunan masanin lissafin Farisa Al-Khwarizmi, wanda aka lasafta shi da gabatar da tsarin lambobi na Hindu da Larabci ga yammacin duniya a karni na 9.