robots
|ro-bots|
🇺🇸
/ˈroʊ.bɑts/
🇬🇧
/ˈrəʊ.bɒts/
(robot)
programmable machine
Etymology
'robot' originates from Czech, specifically the word 'robota', where 'robota' meant 'forced labor' or 'drudgery'.
'robot' was introduced into English in the early 20th century (notably by Karel Čapek's 1920 play 'R.U.R.'), taken from Czech 'robota', which in turn comes from Old Slavic 'rabota'; it then entered international languages as the term for artificial workers or automata.
Initially, it meant 'forced labor' or 'serf labor', but over time it evolved into its modern meaning of 'artificial or mechanical worker/machine' used to perform tasks.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'robot' — machines or devices, often programmable or autonomous, that can perform tasks automatically.
Many factories now use robots to assemble cars.
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Noun 2
plural use referring to people or actions that are mechanical, emotionless, or performed automatically (figurative).
After months of routine, the workers moved like robots.
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Last updated: 2025/08/26 03:57