robot

noun

ro·​bot ˈrō-ˌbät 

-bət

plural robots

1

: a machine that resembles a living creature in being capable of moving independently (as by walking or rolling on wheels) and performing complex actions (such as grasping and moving objects)

When the next space launch heads for Mars, on board will be dozens of tiny mobile robots that will fan out across the Martian landscape, exploring every nook and cranny.

—Michael Bowker

often : such a machine built to resemble a human being or animal in appearance and behavior

While science fiction robots have been capable of independent thought, emotions, even a little cooking and sewing, scientists are finding that endowing a mechanical being with even the most basic human functions is a monumental challenge.

—Greg Freiherr

As a sign of the times, paleontologists themselves have taken to … designing dinosaur robots and displays …

—Malcolm W. Browne

—often used before another noun

a robot dog

a robot servant

compare android, bot entry 1

2

a

: a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive tasks (as in an industrial assembly line)

the use of robots in car manufacturing

… factories run by robots producing many replicas of one product.

—Morris Philipson

—often used before another noun

For fluid applications, especially in the automotive industry, the robot arm must have extremely flexible movement.

—Harry H. Poole

b

: a mechanism guided by automatic controls

a robot airplane

3

: a person who resembles a machine in seeming to function automatically or in lacking normal feelings or emotions

… seems to believe that professors are robots, students are superficial, grade-hungry receptacles …

—Micaela Rubalcava

robotism

ˈrō-ˌbä-ˌti-zəm 

-bə-

noun

Did you know?

In 1920, Czech writer Karel Čapek published a play titled R.U.R. Those initials stood for "Rossum's Universal Robots," which was the name of a fictional company that manufactured human-like machines designed to perform hard, dull, dangerous work for people. The machines in the play eventually grew to resent their jobs and rebelled—with disastrous results for humans. During the writing of his play, Čapek consulted with his brother, the painter and writer Josef Čapek, who suggested the name robot for these machines, from the Czech word robota, which means "forced labor." Robot made its way into our language in 1922 when R.U.R. was translated into English.

Examples of robot in a Sentence

The cars are assembled by robots.

Recent Examples on the Web

There, the city robot meets and learns from the animals in her new environment. —Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024

Several videos that play for guests waiting in line feature Honda’s ASIMO robot character apparently getting ready for a road trip. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024

Five thousand tiny robots on the telescope collect data at an unprecedented rate, per a statement from the observatory. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024

Offload some of that labor to a robot that will never complain about messes and spills. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 5 Apr. 2024

While addressing the Alaska House and Senate transportation committees on March 19th, robot handler Ryan Marlow said the agency opted to trial Aurora after plans to spray repellents like grape juice from flying drones were judged too risky. —Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024

The soldier attempts to run, hide or out-maneuver the relentless robot in the sky. —Caitlin McFall, Fox News, 31 Mar. 2024

But understanding that is what separates us from robots. —Kabir Chibber, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024

If the Russians widen their deployment of armed ground robots, expect the Ukrainians, in response, to widen their radio-jamming. —David Axe, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

robot

noun

ro·​bot ˈrō-ˌbät 

1

a

: a machine that looks and acts like a human being

b

: a capable but unfeeling person

2

: a device that automatically performs tasks that are complicated and often continuously repeated

robotic

rō-ˈbät-ik

adjective

robotically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Etymology

from Czech robot "a machine that looks human and performs dull or dangerous work," from robota "forced labor, work"

Word Origin

In 1923 a play by the Czech author Karel Čapek introduced the word robot to English. The title of the play, R.U.R., stood for "Rossum's Universal Robots," a fictional company that manufactured robots. These humanlike machines were supposed to perform all the hard, dull, and dangerous work for people, but they finally became resentful and rebelled, killing all humans. Čapek formed the word robot from the Czech robota, meaning "forced labor." The play was very popular and influential. As a result, the word robot came to have several meanings, including "a human being who has become brutal and insensitive or machinelike because of overwork and mistreatment." It is used today for machines that may not look human but do perform dangerous or dull work.