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bots

American

[bots] / bɒts /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

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

(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.

See Examples For:

bots

Surveillance is starting to feel ubiquitous, between online bots tracking our every move to cameras everywhere, including the faces of other people wearing AI glasses.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Recent high-profile instances of AI bots going rogue and carrying out cyberattacks have added to widespread anxieties that the development of the technology is moving too fast and without enough regulation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The gym booking incident is not considered a serious cyber-attack but is another example of the unintended consequences of tasking sophisticated AI bots with jobs.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

By the way, I asked a couple of bots about that hypothetical award-winning Boston restaurant with gluten-free options and a Friday opening.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Once they finished emptying out my apartment, custodial bots would scour and disinfect it.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023