bots

American

[bots] / bɒts /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

a disease affecting various mammals, especially horses, caused by the attachment of the parasitic larvae of botflies to the stomach of the host.

bots British

/ bɒts /

noun

(functioning as singular) a digestive disease of horses and some other animals caused by the presence of botfly larvae in the stomach

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bots

First recorded in 1780–90; plural of bot ²; see -s ³

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.

She saw the effects first hand in customer service, when bots were taking over tasks like scheduling missed pickups for a sanitation company.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Under the hood, chatbots and the A.I. bots they power are nothing but a series of static math computations strung together in rapid succession.

From Slate • May 25, 2026

Donald Trump trades stocks at a confounding rate, Everlane is reportedly sold to Shein, and online media is succumbing to bots.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

“No racing bots, no chasing around online for presale codes, just two tickets held just for you,” said Rene Volker, Spotify’s senior director of live music, during an investor day presentation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

I look at the bot in surprise, but it ignores me and attacks the other two avatars before turning on the other bots.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023