/ English Dictionary |
AUTOMATON
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
Irregular inflected form: automata
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A mechanism that can move automatically
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("automaton" is a kind of...):
mechanism (device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "automaton"):
android; humanoid; mechanical man (an automaton that resembles a human being)
Derivation:
automatic (operating with minimal human intervention; independent of external control)
automatize (turn into an automaton)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way
Example:
only an automaton wouldn't have noticed
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("automaton" is a kind of...):
individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)
Derivation:
automatic (resembling the unthinking functioning of a machine)
automatise; automatize (turn into an automaton)