bot

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈbät 

1

: robot

The competition pits remote-controlled, spinning, stabbing robots against each other in three-minute jousts to the death. At the end of each fight, either one of the bots is a smoking, immobile wreck or the judges decide who scored the most blows.

—Brad Stone

2

a

: a computer program that performs automatic repetitive tasks : agent sense 5

Several shopping "bots" will track down prices for on-line merchandise from a variety of vendors.

—Sam Vincent Meddis

especially : one designed to perform a malicious action

These bot programs churn away all day and night, prodding at millions of random IP addresses looking for holes to crawl through.

—Jennifer Tanaka

b

: a computer that has been infected with a bot and can be used for malicious purposes as part of a network of infected computers

These proxies then sent instructions to worker bots in set patterns, including templates for spam creation.

—Jeff Hecht

3

: a computer program or character (as in a game) designed to mimic the actions of a person

bot

2 of 3

noun (2)

variants or less commonly bott

: the larva of a botfly

especially : one infesting the horse

bot

3 of 3

abbreviation

1

botanical; botanist; botany

2

bottle

3

bottom

4

bought

Examples of bot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the days leading up to Saturday’s protest, Sheinbaum accused right-wing parties of trying to infiltrate the Gen Z movement, and of using bots on social media to try to increase attendance. —CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025

Users can share daily stressors or ask for guidance, and the bot will respond with Bible verses and their interpretations and prayers. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 14 Nov. 2025

By the end, the bot has legally changed his wife’s name and mailed her a pornographic movie. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025

Shamblin sent a similar message again seconds later, and the bot prompted him with a help hotline. —Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

by shortening

Noun (2)

Middle English; akin to Dutch leverbot liver fluke

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1969, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bot

1 of 2 noun

ˈbät 

: the larva of a botfly

bot

2 of 2 noun

1

: robot

2

: a computer program that performs automatic, repetitive, and sometimes harmful tasks

3

: a computer program or character that mimics human actions

Medical Definition

bot

1 of 2 noun

variants also bott

ˈbät 

: the larva of a botfly

especially : one infesting the horse

bot

2 of 2 abbreviation

1

botanical; botanist; botany

2

bottle