robot
Pluralrobots
- 1A machine that does jobs by itself, sometimes made to look and act like a person or animal.
Like a machine helper that can move around and do work by itself.
The factory uses a robot to lift heavy boxes off the line.
Engineers built a robot that can climb stairs and open doors.
Note
- 2A computer program made to do a task by itself, like a helper that works online.
Like a tiny helper inside a computer that does small jobs for you.
A robot scans the website and saves every new price it finds.
They built a robot to answer simple questions in the chat.
Similarbot
Note
- 3A person who acts with no feelings and seems to have no mind of their own.
Like a machine that does the same thing over and over with no feelings.
After years at the same dull job, he felt like a robot.
She answered every question like a robot, showing no feeling at all.
UsageOften in like a robot: she answered like a robot.
Similarautomaton, machine, drone, zombie
Note
Less common meanings
- 4A dance where you move in a stiff, jerky way, copying how a robot moves.
Like pretending your body is a machine, moving in short, stiff steps.
At the wedding, my uncle surprised everyone by doing the robot.
Everyone laughed when she did the robot during the chorus.
UsageSay do the robot.
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- 5A traffic light that tells cars when to stop and go, used especially in South Africa.
Like the colored lights on a pole that tell drivers to stop or go.
Turn left at the next robot and you'll see the shop on your right.
We waited at the robot until the light turned green.
Similarstoplight
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- 6An old Central European system where a tenant paid rent by doing forced, unpaid work.
“I say again, down with the robot!—he is a dog who yields it!”
1849, Littell's Living AgeHere, robot means forced, unpaid work that tenants did to pay their rent. - 7A surveying tool that follows a moving target so one person can use it alone.
- 8Someone who often posts on the /r9k/ board on the website 4chan.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of robot apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
English took this word from Czech robot, from robota, meaning hard work or servitude. It was invented in 1920 for Karel Čapek's play R.U.R., after his brother Josef suggested it.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- English borrowed robot from Czech, where it derives from robota. en.wikipedia.org
- Robota means hard work or servitude. en.wiktionary.org
- The word was invented for R.U.R., whose original edition appeared in 1920. archive.org
- Karel Čapek wrote R.U.R. archive.org
- Karel's brother Josef suggested the newly invented word. web.archive.org