Automat
a type of self-service restaurant in which customers obtain food from small compartments by depositing the required number of coins in slots so that the doors can be opened.
Automat
American
[aw-tuh-mat]
/ ˈɔ təˌmæt /
Trademark.
automat
British
/ ˈɔːtəˌmæt /
noun
-
Also called: vending machine. a machine that automatically dispenses goods, such as cigarettes, when money is inserted
-
an area or room, sometimes having restaurant facilities, where food and other goods are supplied from vending machines
Explanation
An automat is a food-dispensing machine or a restaurant with many such machines. If you prefer getting your take-out without speaking to another human being, an automat is the place to go. The word automat has the same beginning as automatic, meaning "operating with minimal human intervention." Automats were quite popular in the early- to mid-1900s. These restaurants had fresh food selections, usually made on-site and displayed in glass compartments. Diners dropped a coin into a slot beside their chosen dish, turned a knob, and then lifted the glass door to take their food. The original term was automated cafeteria.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Apart from the tellingly-named ghost kitchens, fast-food companies, the successors of the original Automat, seem eager to find out.
From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2024
It was to be the Automat of the intelligence community, “with its doors never tightly closed and with customers going in and out, day and night,” according to a CIA history.
From Washington Post ● May 28, 2022
In March, following weak sales, Automat Kitchen ended its lease and vacated the premises.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2022
The superfan Mel Brooks sings a tribute to the Automat, with a 26-piece orchestra.
From New York Times ● Feb. 18, 2022
While Dasch and his team were busy shopping and meeting at the Horn & Hardart Automat, the FBI was examining the boxes of explosives and equipment the Coast Guard had discovered on Amagansett Beach.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
In 1902, Horn & Hardart opened the first automat in Philadelphia.
From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2024
The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also a Brooklyn native, frequented an automat on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, whose food, prices and atmosphere she praised in the documentary.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2022
Though the first “automatic” restaurant appeared in Germany in the 1890s, Hurwitz traced the American phenom to Philadelphia restaurateurs Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart, who opened their first automat in that city in 1902.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2022
Reiner agreed to an interview, and introduced her to his friend, comedy partner and fellow automat devotee Brooks.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2022
“Sound Tower ahead. Prepare to exit,” the trolley automat yelled.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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