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.

See Examples For:

bots

More messages, many of which are designed primarily to be read by bots, will stay unread by colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Under Musk, X has transformed into a haven of bots looking to start fights for pennies.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Organisations deploy bots to buy expired domain names linked to reputable websites, or have desirable domains like .org or .org.uk.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Surveillance is starting to feel ubiquitous, between online bots tracking our every move to cameras everywhere, including the faces of other people wearing AI glasses.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Around us, the security bots have noticed the scuffle and gather instantaneously near the entrance, sealing the tent in.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

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