Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

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.

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

"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.

And yet, that tricky middle is where I need my bots, and my people.

From Slate • May 6, 2026

It was also one of the first cities to allow the delivery bots.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Within the last six months, retail investors have become quite worried about private loans to software companies, fearing this business might be replaced by AI coding bots.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

One user, Victoria Brooks, wrote last year on a personal blog she found Tinder overrun with bots looking to scam people.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

The security bots continue their randomized rotations; some of the assets being used to guard this auction now drift off to patrol another one that has just started.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Definitions 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.