bot

¹ American  

[bot] / bɒt /

noun

1. Digital Technology. a software program that can execute commands, reply to messages, or perform routine tasks, as online searches, either automatically or with minimal human intervention (often used in combination): a customer service chatbot to answer product questions.

   a social media bot retweeting certain posts;

   a customer service chatbot to answer product questions.

2. Informal. a robot.

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bot ² American  

[bot] / bɒt /

Or bott

noun

1. the larva of a botfly.

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bot ³ American  

[bot] / bɒt /

noun

Australian Slang.

1. a person who cadges; scrounger.

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bot. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. botanical.

2. botanist.

3. botany.

4. bottle.

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B.O.T. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Board of Trade.

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bot ¹ British  

/ bɒt /

verb

1. to scrounge or borrow

2. to scrounge (from); impose (on)

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noun

1. a scrounger

2. wanting to scrounge

   he's on the bot for a cigarette

bot. ² British  

abbreviation

1. botanical

2. botany

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bot ³ British  

/ bɒt /

noun

1. computing an autonomous computer program that performs time-consuming tasks, esp on the internet

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bot ⁴ British  

/ bɒt /

noun

1. the larva of a botfly, which typically develops inside the body of a horse, sheep, or man

2. any similar larva

3. informal a mild illness in humans

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BOT ⁵ British  

abbreviation

1. Board of Trade

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bot Scientific  

/ bŏt /

1. A software program that imitates the behavior of a human, as by querying search engines or participating in chatroom discussions.

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Etymology

Origin of bot¹

First recorded in 1985–90; bot ¹ def. 2 first recorded in 1965–70; shortening of robot

Origin of bot²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; akin to Dutch bot, Frisian dialect botten (plural); further origin unknown

Origin of bot³

First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps shortening of botfly

Example Sentences

Often, there are cybersecurity and regulatory compliance hurdles to clear before a bot can take over a person’s tasks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

I then called the first number again, reached the bot, and followed the instructions to submit a fraud review.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

For a period, users could tag the bot in posts to request image generation and editing, receiving the image in a reply from Grok.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

I imagine the A.I. bot like a child playing dress-up, donning an oversized blazer and glasses for a game of “businessman.”

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

Erlan kept shouting “No release!” right before he attacked me with the red bot, and then I’d holler “No release!” even louder and attack him right back with my blue one.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff