robots

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈrəʊˌbɒts/ 🇺🇸 /ˈroʊˌbɑts/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    Plural of robot. A machine, especially one programmable by a computer, capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically.; A person who acts in a mechanical, automatic, or unthinking manner, lacking emotion or independent thought.; A software agent or automated program that performs tasks on the internet, such as crawling web pages or interacting with users.; In South African English, a traffic light or set of traffic signals.; A robotic surgical system used in medicine to assist surgeons during minimally invasive procedures.; In science fiction, an artificial being created to resemble and behave like a human, often possessing advanced intelligence.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: robots

Collocations

industrial robothumanoid robotrobot armrobot vacuumrobot assistantbuild a robot

Derivatives

roboticroboticsrobotizerobotizationrobotically

Synonyms

automatonandroidmachinebotdroid

Commonly confused

android
EN: 'Android' specifically refers to a robot designed to resemble a human in appearance, while 'robot' is the general term for any automated machine.
bot
EN: 'Bot' usually refers to a software program that performs automated tasks online, whereas 'robot' typically refers to a physical machine.

Spelling tips

EN: No common spelling issues. Note that 'robotics' (the field of study) is always plural in form but treated as singular: 'Robotics is a growing field.'

💬 Examples

  1. The factory replaced many human workers with robots to increase efficiency.

  2. After years of repetitive work, he felt like a robot, going through the motions without any passion.

  3. Search engine robots index millions of web pages every day.

  4. Stop at the robots and wait for the green light before turning left.

  5. The hospital recently acquired new robots for performing delicate cardiac surgeries.

  6. The novel explores the ethical dilemmas that arise when robots become indistinguishable from humans.