n.
Pronunciation: o ̇ - ' tä-m ə - ˌ ti-z ə m
Function: noun
Etymology: French automatisme, from automate automaton, from Latin automaton
Date: 1838
1 a : the quality or state of being automatic b : an automatic action
2 : the moving or functioning (as of an organ, tissue, or a body part) without conscious control that occurs either independently of external stimuli (as in the beating of the heart) or under the influence of external stimuli (as in pupil dilation)
3 : a theory that views the body as a machine and consciousness as a noncontrolling adjunct of the body
4 : suspension of the conscious mind to release subconscious images < automatism the surrealist trend toward spontaneity and intuition ― Elle >
– au · tom · a · tist \ - ' tä-m ə -tist \ noun or adjective