Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A mechanical device that sometimes resembles a human and is capable of performing a variety of often complex human tasks on command or by being programmed in advance.
  • noun A machine or device that operates automatically or by remote control.
  • noun A person who works mechanically without original thought, especially one who responds automatically to the commands of others.
  • noun A form of urban dance involving a succession of separate movements executed with precision in imitation of a robot.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A machine built to carry out some complex task or group of tasks, especially one which can be programmed.
  • noun An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
  • noun figuratively A person who does not seem to have any emotions.
  • noun South Africa A traffic light (from earlier robot policeman).
  • noun surveying A theodolite which follows the movements of a prism and can be used by a one-man crew.
  • noun A style of dance popular in disco whereby the dancer impersonates the movement of a robot

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a mechanism that can move automatically

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Czech, from robota, drudgery; see orbh- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Czech robot, from robota ("drudgery, servitude"). Coined in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek after having been suggested to him by his brother Josef , and taken into the English translation without change.

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Examples

  • The term robot derives from the Czech word robit, meaning "work," and came into wide use in 1923 when Karl Capek wrote a play R. U. R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), in which mechanical beings did all the work for man.

    Modern Mechanix 2009

  • The word "robot" comes from the Czech word "robotnik", meaning serf, or

    Forbes.com: News Ray Tsuchiyama 2011

  • But the space program uses the term robot broadly — and the humor has been a little broad, too.

    Space: Also a Frontier for Corny Jokes - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com 2008

  • Although the term robot may suggest science fiction or exotic gadgets from Japan, robots are commonly used today in industry and the military.

    The Seattle Times 2010

  • Although the term robot may suggest science fiction or exotic gadgets from Japan, robots are commonly used today in industry and the military.

    The Seattle Times 2010

  • The 1/1-scale, 18-meter-tall statue of the title robot from the Gundam anime franchise was unveiled on Friday at its new home in central Japanese city of Shizuoka, the self-described "model capital of the world."

    Anime News Network 2010

  • The 1/1-scale, 18-meter-tall statue of the title robot from the Gundam anime franchise was unveiled on Friday at its new home in central Japanese city of Shizuoka, the self-described "model capital of the world."

    Anime News Network 2010

  • Although the term robot may suggest science fiction or exotic gadgets from Japan, robots are commonly used today in industry and the military.

    The Seattle Times 2010

  • Although the term robot may suggest science fiction or exotic gadgets from Japan, robots are commonly used today in industry and the military.

    The Seattle Times 2010

  • Although the term robot may suggest science fiction or exotic gadgets from Japan, robots are commonly used today in industry and the military.

    The Seattle Times 2010

Comments

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  • And then I will name my other cat robot. But only if it has a round-shaped head.

    December 6, 2006

  • Coined by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. – Rossum's Universal Robots, from the Czech word robota, "forced labor".

    January 2, 2008

  • I recently saw this play, and it was quite excellent. The issues raised about industrialization, outsourcing, international politics, and sentience of machines are becoming more important today than they were when it was written. I also detected quite a few subtle jabs at Communism.

    January 4, 2008

  • In South Africa, that's what traffic lights are called.

    May 1, 2011