au·tom·a·ton

(ô-tŏm′ə-tŏn′, -tən)

n. pl. au·tom·a·tons or au·tom·a·ta (-tə)

1. A self-operating machine or mechanism, especially a robot.

2. One that behaves or responds in a mechanical way.

[Latin, self-operating machine, from Greek, from neuter of automatos, self-acting; see automatic.]

au·tom′a·tous adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

References in periodicals archive

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