bots

American  

[bots] / bɒts /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

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

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bots British  

/ bɒts /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of bots

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bots

Cybersecurity was a main focus of the product launch, with Microsoft announcing a variety of features to ensure governance and accountability for AI agents, which are bots that can act on a user’s behalf.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

Regulations on AI companion bots took effect in July, aiming to curb emotional dependency and banning the creation of digital clones of real people without their consent.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

AI companies are encouraging people to upload their health information to be scrutinized by their bots, or to grant access to their bank or investment accounts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Now, as Piecha combed the web for other places the bots might have gathered, she discovered a similar message, buried in an online coding service called RubyGems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

If I can get back inside the black tunnel, where the security bots can’t go, I can make it out of here with my items intact.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu