automaton

noun

au·tom·a·ton | \ ȯ-ˈtä-mə-tən

, -mə-ˌtän\

plural automatons or automata\ -mə-tə

, -mə-ˌtä \

Definition of automaton

1 : a mechanism that is relatively self-operating especially : robot

2 : a machine or control mechanism designed to follow automatically a predetermined sequence of operations or respond to encoded instructions

3 : an individual who acts in a mechanical fashion He is an unfeeling automaton.

Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about automaton

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Did You Know?

The idea of the automaton has fascinated people for many centuries. A traveler to the emperor's court in Byzantium in A.D. 949 reported that mechanical birds sat in a golden tree singing the songs of their species; that mechanical lions flanked the throne, roaring and switching their great tails; and that, as he stood watching, the emperor's throne suddenly shot upward toward the high ceiling, and when it slowly descended the emperor was wearing new robes. Early automata (notice the common plural form) often relied on water, steam, or falling weights to power them. Today automata, often called robots, are used in manufacturing plants to build not only vehicles but also much smaller electronic equipment.

Examples of automaton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The equities side of Wall Street, including me, always writes off bond investors as automatons. — Andy Kessler, WSJ, "Stock Picking Is Like Time Travel," 13 Jan. 2019 This method is clearly unrealistic for anything less than preprogrammed automatons, but a simplified version that sees travelers boarding by alternating rows on alternating sides would also be a massive improvement over more prevalent methods. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "The Beautifully Efficient Airplane Boarding Method That Mere Humans Just Can't Pull Off," 5 Feb. 2019 That job is to make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, and not for members of Parliament to become Brexit-delivering automatons as some would have it. — Joseph C. Sternberg, WSJ, "Britain Risks Death by a Thousand Elections," 21 Nov. 2018 In 1788, a woman named Alice Payne helps pay off her father’s debts by becoming a highway robber known as the Holy Ghost, aided by her lover, Jane, and an automaton named Laverna. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "11 new sci-fi and fantasy books to check out this November," 1 Nov. 2018 Asians in America have long been stereotyped as undistinguishable robotic automatons. — Michael Li, Vox, "I support affirmative action. But Harvard really is hurting Asian Americans.," 18 Oct. 2018 Their academies turn out intelligent, creative players rather than dribbling automatons. — The Economist, "For all its faults, the World Cup in Russia is worth celebrating," 9 June 2018 Utility-maximising automatons might see the sense in buying mosquito nets over the internet for distant strangers. — The Economist, "Can “effective altruism” maximise the bang for each charitable buck?," 2 June 2018 Other restaurants have incorporated automaton (remember Flippy, the burger-flipping robot?), but Creator is the first to build a machine that makes your burger from start to finish — all in about five minutes. — Renae Reints, Fortune, "The World’s First Entirely Robot-Crafted Burger Is Here. This Is Exactly How It’s Made," 22 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'automaton.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.