automatons
|au-to-ma-ton|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtəˈmætən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəˈmæt(ə)n/
(automaton)
self-operating machine
Etymology
'automaton' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'automatos', where 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'matos' meant 'moving'.
'automaton' changed from Medieval Latin 'automaton' and Old French 'automate', and eventually became the modern English word 'automaton'.
Initially, it meant 'self-moving (device)'; over time it evolved to also mean 'a person who acts mechanically' in figurative use.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
mechanical devices made to resemble and often mimic the actions of a human being; moving mechanical figures (plural).
The museum displayed several automatons that could play musical instruments.
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Noun 2
people who act in a mechanical, unemotional, or unthinking way; persons who follow orders or routines without independent thought (plural, figurative).
Under the strict regime, workers became automatons, following orders without question.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 00:50