Dictionary

automaton en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• ô-tŏm'ə-tŏn
• ô-tŏm'ə-tən
• ə-tŏm'ə-tŏn
• /ə-/
• (US) audio
• /-ˌtɒn/
• /ɔːˈtɒmətən/

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὐτόματον (autómaton), neuter of αὐτόματος (autómatos, “self moving, self willed”). Doublet of automat.

Meanings

1. A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.
   • He has spent many years on the automaton, and it must have cost thousands of pounds in experiment and construction. 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
   • Nick had heard her play through the very beginning of it a dozen times, until he was screaming at her in his head to go on. Well, now she did, watching her own hands busying up and down the keyboard as if they were astonishing automata that she had wound up and set in motion, in perfect synchrony, to produce this silvery flow of sound. 2004, Alan Hollinghurst, chapter 9, in The Line of Beauty […], London: Picador, →ISBN:
2. A person who acts like a machine or robot, often defined as having a monotonous lifestyle and lacking in emotion.
   • —to the young man who filled a place at table as the permitted, not invited, the unrewarded labourer for an ungrateful taskmaster—the handsome dangler, allowed to join in a quadrille, on the condition of being an automaton before and after—the listener to young members, and old women of rank—the person who must bore nobody, but whom every body had a right to bore! 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, pages 228–229:
   • July 12, 1816, Thomas Jefferson, letter to Samuel Kercheval Monticello A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second, that second for a third, and so on 'til the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering.
   • Due to her strict adherence to her daily schedule, Jessica was becoming more and more convinced that she was an automaton.
3. A formal system, such as a finite-state machine or cellular automaton.
4. A toy in the form of a mechanical figure.
5. (dated) The self-acting power of the muscular and nervous systems, by which movement is effected without intelligent determination.

Forms

Deriveds

auton · finite automaton · finite-state automaton · biautomaton · pushdown automaton · Obamaton · cellular automaton · teleautomaton · automatonophobiac · automatonophobia · semiautomaton · automatonlike · photomaton · Büchi automaton

Hyponyms

robot

Relateds

automat · automation · automatic · automatization · automatize

Translations (97)

lo ຫຸ່ນຍົນ (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · th เครื่องอัตโนมัติ (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · mk автома́т (formal system) · pl automat (person who acts like a machine or robot) · sq automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · la automatum (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · pt autómato (toy in the form of a mechanical figure) · tg мошини худкор (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ja 自動機械 (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · mn автомат (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · grc αὐτόματον (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · la automaton (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ms automaton (person who acts like a machine or robot) · eo aŭtomato (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · lt automatas (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · cs automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · is sjálfvirki (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ja オートマトン (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · sl avtomat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ru автома́т (formal system) · th หุ่นสมองกล (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · cmn 自動機器 /自动机器 (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · chr ᏔᎷᎩᏍᎩ ᏴᏫ (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · hy ավտոմատ (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · el αυτόματον (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · pt autômato (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · es autómata (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · tr otomat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · hi यंत्र मानव (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · bg автома́т (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · pt autômato (toy in the form of a mechanical figure) · cs automat (formal system) · bg робо́т (person who acts like a machine or robot) · uz avtomat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · fa-ira خودْکارِه (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · sv automat (formal system) · fr automate (formal system) · ar أُوتُومَاتُون (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · tg автомат (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · it automa (formal system) · tg худкора (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ja オートマトン (formal system) · ro automat (formal system) · fi automaatti (formal system) · ru ро́бот (person who acts like a machine or robot) · be аўтама́т (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · bg автома́т (formal system) · sh ауто̀ма̄т (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ug ئاۋتومات (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · io automato (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · it automa (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · lv automāts (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ro automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · hu automata (formal system) · de Automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · da automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · et automaat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · pt autômato (formal system) · id otomat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ko 오토머튼 (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · fi automaatti (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ky автомат (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · sk automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · it automa (person who acts like a machine or robot) · pt autómato (formal system) · ar آلَة ذَاتِيَّة تَشْغِيل (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ms automaton (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · nb automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · yi אויטאָמאַט (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · uk автома́т (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · hi मशीनी मानव (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ko 오토매톤 (formal system) · hu automata (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · tg мошини автоматӣ (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · es autómata (person who acts like a machine or robot) · fa-ira ماشینِ خودْکار (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · hi स्वचालित यंत्र (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · mk автома́т (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · fr automate (person who acts like a machine or robot) · nl automaat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · sh autòmāt (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ru автома́т (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · kk автомат (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · sv automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · cmn 自動機 /自动机 (formal system) · hi आटोमैटिक मशीन (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · fr automate (toy in the form of a mechanical figure) · fr automate (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · tk awtomat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · az avtomat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · pt autómato (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ka ავტომატი (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ko 자동기계 (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · ca autòmat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · pl automat (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · th หุ่นยนต์ (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions) · is vélmenni (machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions)