robot
Americannoun
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robots
plural
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a machine that resembles a human and does mechanical, routine tasks on command.
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a person who acts and responds in a mechanical, routine manner, usually subject to another's will; automaton.
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any machine or mechanical device that operates automatically with humanlike skill.
adjective
noun
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any automated machine programmed to perform specific mechanical functions in the manner of a man
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(modifier) not controlled by man; automatic
a robot pilot
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a person who works or behaves like a machine; automaton
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a set of traffic lights
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of robot
< Czech, coined by Karel Čapek in the play R.U.R. (1920) from the base robot-, as in robota compulsory labor, robotník peasant owing such labor
Explanation
A robot is a mechanical creation that can move or act on its own. Science fiction is full of robots. Also called droids, Cylons, and bots, robots are certainly the stuff of science fiction stories. But there are plenty of real robots out there in the world, using their mechanical smarts to make life easier. There are robots that can vacuum the rug, dance, perform surgery, clean oil spills, and even build cars. The field of robotics is growing all the time. Maybe someday you'll even have that robot butler so many of us have dreamed about.
Vocabulary lists containing robot
Engineering - Introductory
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Engineering - Middle School
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Engineering - High School
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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:
To prepare for increased production rates, a robot installed a year ago now assembles gearbox units.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
These figures describe different opportunities: more efficient robot travel and lower costs at a particular facility.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026
Our favorite is the long, winding Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor robot — also called EELS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Anduril Industries makes unmanned jet fighters and robot submarines, but it will soon begin manufacturing something less exotic: laptop computers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
The robot wanted to rinse the poison tide from her body, but she didn’t want to poison any plants or animals on the island.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Other robots are used in the manufacture of metal parts, but many assembly operations are still performed by hand.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
DoorDash, which is looking to expand its business with drones and autonomous delivery robots, already delivers goods from supermarkets including Kroger and Safeway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Whether or not robots dream of electric sheep, rapid advances in artificial intelligence have tech leaders and philosophers pondering what constitutes consciousness.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
MS notes several risks to further adoption of humanoid robots, including product reliability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
I do know that humans perceive things differently than robots.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
