self-acting

[ self-ak-ting ]

/ ˈsɛlfˈæk tɪŋ /

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adjective

acting by itself; automatic.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of self-acting

First recorded in 1670–80

OTHER WORDS FROM self-acting

self-action, noun

Words nearby self-acting

self-abasement, self-abnegation, self-absorbed, self-absorption, self-abuse, self-acting, self-actualization, self-actualize, self-addressed, self-adhesive, self-adjustment

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use self-acting in a sentence

This self-acting cable key was brought out in 1876, and tried on the lines of the Eastern Telegraph Company.
Heroes of the Telegraph|J. Munro
There must also be change wheels, studs and quadrant plates, self-acting feed for surfacing and cross slide, and clamping nuts.
Practical Mechanics for Boys|J. S. Zerbe
Behind were six fire-flies, well supplied with self-acting lamps, which they kept hidden somewhere under their wings.
Japanese Fairy World|William Elliot Griffis
His cottage was quite a curiosity-shop of models of engines, self-acting planes, and perpetual-motion machines.
Lives of the Engineers|Samuel Smiles

This was one of the first self-acting inclines laid down in the district.
Lives of the Engineers|Samuel Smiles

British Dictionary definitions for self-acting

self-acting

adjective

not requiring an external influence or control to function; automatic

Derived forms of self-acting

self-action, noun

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