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
In 1902, Horn and Hardart imported this equipment and launched the first Horn & Hardart Automat, at 818 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2022
Although he conceived Automat Kitchen 15 years ago, it did not open until January 2021.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2022
Why does the Automat hold a special place in many people’s hearts?
From New York Times ● Feb. 18, 2022
Francie wished she could ride across the bridge to work and eat in the Automat instead of carrying sandwiches from home.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
In 1902, Horn & Hardart opened the first automat in Philadelphia.
From Salon ● Jan. 22, 2024
AP: In “Asteroid City,” you combined an interest in really disparate ideas — the ’50s theater of Sam Shepard with the automat.
From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2023
Meanwhile, city workers — once automat patrons at dinnertime — began moving to the suburbs.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2022
During the Great Depression, an automat was a warm haven where you could sit all day sipping coffee for a nickel.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2022
The door snapped open, and out wheeled an automat.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
