bots
|bots|
🇺🇸
/bɑts/
🇬🇧
/bɒts/
(bot)
automated program
Etymology
'bots' originates from English, specifically from 'bot' (an abbreviation of 'robot'), where 'robot' comes from Czech 'robot', in which 'robota' meant 'forced labour'.
'bot' was shortened from 'robot' in English; in mid-to-late 20th century 'robot' was extended to 'robot' software (e.g., 'web robot'), and in computing and online use those 'robots' were commonly shortened to 'bots'.
Initially it referred to mechanical automata or 'robots'; over time the meaning broadened to include software agents (web crawlers, chatbots) and computer-controlled players.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'bot': automated software programs or agents (often on the internet) that perform tasks or simulate human activity, e.g., chatbots, web crawlers, spam bots.
Many websites use bots to index pages and collect data.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
plural of 'bot': physical robots or mechanical devices that perform tasks automatically (industrial or service robots).
Warehouse bots move inventory between shelves.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/12 00:55