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:
Already on the market is electric-vehicle maker Tesla, which is developing the Optimus humanoid robot.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The robot, which Lore said can make about 500 bowls an hour, will go live at Wonder’s Midtown East location in a few weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The quadcopter was discovered at Leipzig airport late on Tuesday night, forcing one runway into lockdown as a bomb disposal robot rolled into action.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
German police deployed a bomb disposal robot at an airport overnight after a drone was found on the tarmac near a Ukrainian cargo plane, sparking alarm and forcing the diversion of numerous flights.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The robot had a simple home in the forest.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Despite a pause in most tariffs following talks in May 2025, Washington and Beijing have continued to exchange sanctions, including restrictions on humanoid robots shipped to the US and tighter Chinese curbs on drone exports.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Schaeffler has also held discussions with more than 45 global manufacturers of humanoid robots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Overall, shipments of humanoid robots “nearly quadrupled” in the first half of 2026, according to the research firm.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Among them: delivering Tesla’s 20-millionth vehicle, selling one million robots and putting one million robotaxis on the street.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The train car’s interior was a long, windowless room, filled with rows and rows of robots.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
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.
