Main Entry:

ro·bot

Pronunciation:

\ˈrō-ˌbät, -bət\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Czech, from robota compulsory labor; akin to Old High German arabeit trouble, Latin orbus orphaned — more at orphan

Date:

1923

1 a: a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being ; also : a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized b: an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically2: a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks3: a mechanism guided by automatic controls

— ro·bot·ism \ˈrō-ˌbä-ˌti-zəm, -bə-\ noun