n.
Pronunciation: ' r ō - ˌ bät, -b ə t
Function: noun
Etymology: Czech, from robota compulsory labor; akin to Old High German arabeit trouble, Latin orbus orphaned ― more at ORPHAN
Date: 1923
1 a : a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being also : a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized b : an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically
2 : a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks
3 : a mechanism guided by automatic controls
– ro · bot · ism \ ' r ō - ˌ bä- ˌ ti-z ə m, -b ə - \ noun