robot
programmable machine that performs tasks
A machine that does work by itself because it is programmed.
build [a robot] to [do something]
- The factory uses a robot to weld car frames.
- We programmed the robot to navigate the maze.
- She set the robot vacuum to clean the living room.
- The surgical robot assisted the doctor during the operation.
- A small robot delivered snacks around the office.
- The robot cleans the floor by itself.
- They built a robot in science class.
- A robot can move and pick up parts.
- The robot helps the doctor in the hospital.
person acting mechanically, emotionlessly
A person who shows no feeling and just follows orders.
act like [a robot]
- He follows every rule like a robot and never questions why.
- I'm not your robot—I won't just do everything you say.
- After months of overtime, I felt like a robot.
- The staff moved like robots during the drill, efficient but lifeless.
- He works like a robot and never stops.
- I am not a robot; I can say no.
- She answers like a robot, with no feeling.
automated software agent (“bot”)
A computer program that does tasks by itself, often on the internet.
deploy [a software robot] to [do something]
- Our RPA robots handle invoice data entry overnight.
- The website blocks unknown robots with a strict robots.txt file.
- A search engine robot crawled the page within minutes.
- A software robot can fill forms for you.
- The company uses robots to read emails and move data.
- The site tells robots what to do in the robots.txt file.
South African: traffic light
In South Africa, 'robot' means a traffic light.
stop at [the robot]
- Turn left at the next robot and you'll see the mall.
- The robot was out, so a police officer directed traffic.
- We waited at the robot until it turned green.
- In Cape Town, people say 'robot' for a traffic light.
- Stop at the robot when it is red.
- The robot on this street is broken today.
- Base: robot
- Plural: robots
collaborative robot
1robot that works with humans
A robot that can safely work next to people without a cage.
- A collaborative robot assists workers with heavy parts.
- They programmed the collaborative robot to stop when touched.
humanoid robot
1robot with human-like body
A robot that looks and moves like a person.
- The humanoid robot greeted visitors at the expo.
- Engineers taught the humanoid robot to climb stairs.
industrial robot
1robot used in manufacturing
A robot used in a factory to do jobs like welding or painting.
- An industrial robot can work safely inside a cage.
- The plant installed new industrial robots on the assembly line.
killer robot
1weaponized autonomous robot
A robot or system that can select and attack targets without people controlling it.
- The treaty aims to ban killer robots.
- Debates about killer robots are growing in the UN.
like a robot
1in a mechanical, emotionless way
Moving or speaking with no feeling, as if you were a robot.
- She answered every question like a robot.
- After the fifteenth hour, we typed like robots just to finish.
robot arm
1mechanical arm of a robot
A machine arm that can move and pick up things like a human arm.
- The robot arm places chips on the board.
- A camera guides the robot arm to the right position.
robot dog
1dog-shaped robot
A small robot that looks or moves like a dog.
- The robot dog followed its owner through the park.
- Students coded the robot dog to sit and roll over.
robot overlords
1humorous: robots ruling humans
A joking way to talk about robots controlling people in the future.
- We welcome our robot overlords, someone joked at the conference.
- Articles about AI sometimes mention robot overlords as a joke.
robot vacuum
1autonomous vacuum cleaner
A small round machine that moves by itself and cleans floors.
- Our robot vacuum runs every morning at nine.
- He bought a robot vacuum for his new apartment.
robots.txt file
1file that guides web robots
A text file on a website that tells software robots (bots) which pages they can visit.
- Check the robots.txt file to allow the crawler.
- They blocked all staging URLs in the robots.txt file.
service robot
1robot that helps people
A robot that helps people by doing jobs like cleaning, delivery, or customer service.
- A service robot brought towels to the hotel room.
- Hospitals are testing service robots to move supplies.
social robot
1robot built to interact socially
A robot made to talk and interact with people in a friendly way.
- A social robot helps children practice reading.
- The lab studies how social robots build trust.