botnet

American  

[bot-net] / ˈbɒtˌnɛt /

noun

Computers.

1. a network of computers created by malware and controlled remotely, without the knowledge of the users of those computers.

   The botnet was used primarily to send spam emails.

   Hackers built the botnet to carry out DDoS attacks.

---

botnet British  

/ ˈbɒtˌnɛt /

noun

1. (sometimes with a capital) a network of computers infected by a program that communicates with its creator in order to send unsolicited emails, attack websites, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of botnet

First recorded in 1990–95 in earlier sense “a network of bots”; bot ¹ + net(work)

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

botnet

FBI Director Kash Patel said the operation resulted in the disruption of a "global botnet and hacking platform used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to target US critical infrastructure."

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Plus, hiring in March defied expectations, and tips to help you steer clear of botnet networks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026

We dubbed this the “fox8” botnet after one of the fake news websites it was designed to amplify.

From Salon ● Feb. 15, 2026

Soon afterward, the compromised device disappeared from the TrickBot botnet.

From The Verge ● Sep. 9, 2022

There are so many infected PCs on the Internet that the price of hiring an hour or two on a botnet has crashed.

From Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---