robot

See also: robót and robòt

English

WOTD – 17 December 2006

industrial robot handling flat glass

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

Borrowed from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”). Coined in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek after having been suggested to him by his brother Josef, and taken into English without change.

Pronunciation

• enPR: rō′bŏt
• IPA^(key): /ˈɹəʊbɒt/
• IPA^(key): /ˈɹoʊbɑt/
  • (rare, antiquated) enPR: rō′bət, IPA^(key): /ˈɹoʊbət/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

robot (plural robots)

1. A machine built to carry out some complex task or group of tasks by physically moving, especially one which can be programmed.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:robot

   Hypernym: automaton

   Hyponym: android

   • 2010 May 16, Tim Webb, The Guardian:

     It's painfully slow and complex work which has never been attempted before in these conditions: the small box-shaped robots, equipped with two claws, are operating in almost freezing water 5,000ft below the surface, in pitch black and strong currents.

2. (chiefly science fiction) An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
   • 2010 January 26, Tom Chivers and Iain McDiarmid, The Telegraph:

     The robots in Dick's novel, loosely adapted by Ridley Scott into the film Blade Runner, were so similar to humans that when they went rogue, trained bounty hunters were called in to perform psychological tests to see whether suspected androids lacked human empathy.

3. (figuratively) A person who does not seem to have any emotions.
   • 2006, Murray N. Rothbard, Making Economic Sense, page xiv:

     Yet surely he was a humorless robot of a man, spewing forth lonely and bitter critiques of all those lesser mortals with whom he could not identify.

4. (South Africa) A traffic light (from earlier robot policeman).
5. (surveying) A theodolite which follows the movements of a prism and can be used by a one-man crew.
6. (dance) A style of dance popular in disco in which the dancer imitates the stiff movements of a stereotypical android robot.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• -bot
• bot
• robo-

• robotic
• robotics

Translations

intelligent mechanical being

• Afrikaans: robot
• Albanian: robot (sq) m
• Amharic: ሮቦት (robot)
• Arabic: رُوبُوت (ar) m (rōbōt), رُوبُوط m (rōbōṭ), إِنْسَان آلِيّ m (ʔinsān ʔāliyy), رَجُل آلِيّ m (rajul ʔāliyy)
• Armenian: ռոբոտ (hy) (ṙobot)
• Asturian: robó m
• Azerbaijani: robot (az)
• Basque: robot (eu)
• Belarusian: ро́бат m (róbat)
• Bengali: রোবট (bn) (rōboṭ), যন্ত্রমানব (jontromanob)
• Bulgarian: ро́бот m (róbot)
• Burmese: စက်ရုပ် (cak-rup)
• Catalan: robot (ca) m
• Cebuano: robot
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 機器人／机器人 (zh) (jīqìrén), 机器人 (zh) (jīqìrén), 機械人／机械人 (jīxièrén), 机械人 (jīxièrén)

• Czech: robot (cs) m
• Danish: robot
• Dutch: robot (nl)
• Esperanto: roboto (eo)
• Estonian: robot (et)
• Finnish: robotti (fi)
• French: robot (fr) m
• Galician: robot m
• Georgian: რობოტი (ka) (roboṭi)
• German: Roboter (de) m
• Greek: ρομπότ (el) m (rompót)
• Hebrew: רוֹבּוֹט (he) (robot)
• Hindi: रोबोट m (roboṭ), यंत्रमानव m (yantramānav)
• Hungarian: robot (hu)
• Icelandic: vélmenni (is) n, róbóti m, þjarki (is) m
• Ido: roboto (io)
• Indonesian: robot (id)
• Italian: robot (it) m
• Japanese: ロボット (ja) (robotto), 人造人間 (jinzō ningen)
• Kazakh: робот (robot)
• Khmer: រូបយន្ត (ruupaʼyŭən)
• Korean: 로봇 (ko) (robot)
• Kyrgyz: робот (robot)
• Lao: ຫຸ່ນຍົນ (lo) (hun nyon)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: robotum n
• Latvian: robots
• Lithuanian: robotas (lt)
• Macedonian: робот m (robot)
• Malagasy: rôbô
• Malay: robot
• Marathi: रोबॉट m (robŏṭ), रोबो m (robo)
• Mongolian: робот (mn) (robot)
• Norman: robot m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: robot m

  Nynorsk: robot m

• Occitan: robòt (oc) m
• Persian: روبات (rōbât)
• Polish: robot (pl) m
• Portuguese: robot (pt) m, robô (pt) m
• Romanian: robot (ro) m
• Russian: ро́бот (ru) m (róbot)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: робот m

  Roman: robot (sh) m

• Sinhalese: රොබෝ (robō)
• Slovak: robot (sk) m
• Slovene: róbot (sl) m
• Spanish: robot (es) m
• Sundanese: robot
• Swedish: robot (sv)
• Tajik: робот (tg) (robot)
• Tamil: ரோபோ (rōpō)
• Thai: หุ่นยนต์ (th) (hùn-yon)
• Tibetan: མི་གཟུགས་འཕྲུལ་བྱད (mi gzugs 'phrul byad)
• Turkish: robot (tr)
• Turkmen: robot
• Ukrainian: ро́бот (uk) m (róbot)
• Urdu: روبوٹ m (rōbōṭ), روبالہ (ur) m
• Uyghur: روبوت (robot)
• Uzbek: robot (uz)
• Vietnamese: người máy
• Volapük: mekavamen (vo)
• Yiddish: ראָבאָט m (robot)

person who does not seem to have any emotions

• Cebuano: robot
• Galician: robot m
• Italian: robot (it) m, automa (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: មនុស្សយន្ត (mo nus yon)
• Portuguese: robô (pt) m

machine to perform complex tasks

• Cebuano: robot
• Czech: robot (cs) m
• Danish: robot c
• Esperanto: roboto (eo)
• Italian: robot (it) m, automa (it) m
• Marathi: रोबॉट (robŏṭ), रोबो (robo)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: robot m

  Nynorsk: robot m

• Portuguese: robô (pt) m
• Swedish: robot (sv) c

traffic light — see traffic light

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} robot m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• artificial intelligence
• computer
• cyborg
• domotics
• pedipulator
• robot revolution

Further reading

• robot on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “robot”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “robot”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• boort, torob

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Afrikaans

Etymology

From English robot.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrʊə̯.bɔt/

Noun

robot (plural robotte)

1. robot
2. traffic light
   • 1997, Riana Scheepers, Dogters van Afrika. Verhale oor Suid-Afrikaanse Vroue, Tafelberg (publ.).

     As die robotte na groen oorslaan, brul hulle en storm vorentoe.

     When the traffic lights switch to green, they roar and storm forward.

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Catalan

Etymology

From Czech robot.

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. robot

Related terms

• robòtica

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Cebuano

Etymology

(deprecated template usage)

From English robot, from Czech robot, from robota (“drudgery, servitude”). Coined in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek after having been suggested to him by his brother Josef.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot

1. a machine built to carry out some complex task or group of tasks by physically moving, especially one which can be programmed
2. an intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal
3. (figuratively) a person who does not seem to have any emotions
4. a style of dance popular in disco whereby the dancer impersonates the movement of a robot

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Czech

Etymology

From robota. Coined by Josef Čapek, it first appeared in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. by his brother Karel Čapek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrobot]

Noun

1. robot

Related terms

• robotika f
• robotický
• robota f
• robit
• rob m

Further reading

• Template:R:PSJC
• Template:R:SSJC

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed, likely from German Robot, from Czech robot. The plural is likely influenced by English or French.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈroː.bɔt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

robot m (plural robots or robotten, diminutive robotje n)

1. robot [from 1921]

   Synonym: kunstmens

Derived terms

• robotarm
• robotauto
• robotvliegtuig

Related terms

• arbeid
• bot
• robotica
• robotisch

Anagrams

• boort

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French

Etymology

From Czech robot.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔ.bo/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. robot

Further reading

• “robot”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrobot]
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Etymology 1

From Bavarian robat, robold, from Czech robota (“forced labour, drudgery”).

Noun

robot (plural robotok)

1. (historical) socage, forced labour
2. (figuratively) hard work, drudgery

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	robot	robotok
accusative	robotot	robotokat
dative	robotnak	robotoknak
instrumental	robottal	robotokkal
causal-final	robotért	robotokért
translative	robottá	robotokká
terminative	robotig	robotokig
essive-formal	robotként	robotokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	robotban	robotokban
superessive	roboton	robotokon
adessive	robotnál	robotoknál
illative	robotba	robotokba
sublative	robotra	robotokra
allative	robothoz	robotokhoz
elative	robotból	robotokból
delative	robotról	robotokról
ablative	robottól	robotoktól
non-attributive possessive - singular	roboté	robotoké
non-attributive possessive - plural	robotéi	robotokéi

Possessive forms of robot
possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	robotom	robotjaim
2nd person sing.	robotod	robotjaid
3rd person sing.	robotja	robotjai
1st person plural	robotunk	robotjaink
2nd person plural	robototok	robotjaitok
3rd person plural	robotjuk	robotjaik

Derived terms

• robotol
• robotos

Etymology 2

From Czech robot, from robota (“forced labour, drudgery”). Coined in the 1921 science-fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek.

Noun

robot (plural robotok)

1. robot

Declension

Same as above.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• robotember
• robotgép

• robotpilóta
• robotrepülőgép

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Italian

Etymology

From Czech robot

Noun

robot m (uncountable)

1. robot
2. (computing) bot

Derived terms

• robot da cucina

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Latvian

Verb

robot (transitive, 2nd conjugation, present roboju, robo, robo, past roboju)

1. to notch
2. to jag
3. to make an incision (on)

Conjugation

conjugation of robot

	INDICATIVE (īstenības izteiksme)				IMPERATIVE (pavēles izteiksme)
		Present (tagadne)	Past (pagātne)	Future (nākotne)
1st pers. sg.	es	roboju	roboju	robošu	—
2nd pers. sg.	tu	robo	roboji	robosi	robo
3rd pers. sg.	viņš, viņa	robo	roboja	robos	lai robo
1st pers. pl.	mēs	robojam	robojām	robosim	robosim
2nd pers. pl.	jūs	robojat	robojāt	robosiet, robosit	robojiet
3rd pers. pl.	viņi, viņas	robo	roboja	robos	lai robo
RENARRATIVE (atstāstījuma izteiksme)			PARTICIPLES (divdabji)
Present	robojot		Present Active 1 (Adj.)		robojošs
Past	esot robojis		Present Active 2 (Adv.)		robodams
Future	robošot		Present Active 3 (Adv.)		robojot
Imperative	lai robojot		Present Active 4 (Obj.)		robojam
CONDITIONAL (vēlējuma izteiksme)			Past Active		robojis
Present	robotu		Present Passive		robojams
Past	būtu robojis		Past Passive		robots
DEBITIVE (vajadzības izteiksme)			NOMINAL FORMS
Indicative	(būt) jārobo		Infinitive (nenoteiksme)		robot
Conjunctive 1	esot jārobo		Negative Infinitive		nerobot
Conjunctive 2	jārobojot		Verbal noun		robošana

Synonyms

• grubuļot
• izrobot

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Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Czech robota

Noun

robot m (definite singular roboten, indefinite plural roboter, definite plural robotene)

1. a robot

References

• “robot” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Czech robota

Noun

robot m (definite singular roboten, indefinite plural robotar, definite plural robotane)

1. a robot

References

• “robot” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Polish

Etymology

From Czech robot.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrɔ.bɔt/

Noun

robot m inan

1. robot

Declension

Declension of robot

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	roboty
genitive	robota	robotów
dative	robotowi	robotom
accusative	robot/robota	roboty
instrumental	robotem	robotami
locative	robocie	robotach
vocative	robocie	roboty

Derived terms

• (noun) robotyka

Further reading

• Template:R:PWN

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Portuguese

Noun

robot m (plural s)

1. Alternative form of robô

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Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rôbot/
• Hyphenation: ro‧bot

Noun

rȍbot m (Cyrillic spelling ро̏бот)

1. robot

Declension

Declension of robot

	singular	plural
nominative	robot	roboti
genitive	robota	robota
dative	robotu	robotima
accusative	robot	robote
vocative	robote	roboti
locative	robotu	robotima
instrumental	robotom	robotima

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Slovene

Etymology

From Czech robot.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɔbóːt/

Noun

robọ̑t m anim

1. robot

Inflection

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Masculine anim., hard o-stem
nom. sing.	robót
gen. sing.	robóta
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	robót	robóta	robóti
genitive (rodȋlnik)	robóta	robótov	robótov
dative (dajȃlnik)	robótu	robótoma	robótom
accusative (tožȋlnik)	robóta	robóta	robóte
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	robótu	robótih	robótih
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	robótom	robótoma	robóti

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Spanish

Etymology

From English robot, from Czech.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /roˈbod/ [roˈβ̞oð̞]

Noun

robot m (plural robots)

1. robot

Derived terms

• retrato robot

Related terms

• robótica f (“robotics”)
• robótico (“robotic”, adjective)

 

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Swedish

Noun

robot c

1. robot
2. missile

Declension

Declension of robot
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	robot	roboten	robotar	robotarna
Genitive	robots	robotens	robotars	robotarnas

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Turkish

Etymology

From Czech robot.

Noun

robot (definite accusative robotu, plural robotlar)

1. robot

Declension

Declension of robot

	singular (tekil)	plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın)	robot	robotlar
definite accusative (belirtme)	robotu	robotları
dative (yönelme)	robota	robotlara
locative (bulunma)	robotta	robotlarda
ablative (ayrılma)	robottan	robotlardan
genitive (tamlayan)	robotun	robotların