Word forms: plural automatons, plural automata (ɔːtɒmətə)
1. countable noun
If you say that someone is an automaton, you are critical of them because they behave as if they are so tired or bored that they do things without thinking.
[disapproval]
I get sick of being thought of as a political automaton.
2. countable noun
An automaton is a small, mechanical figure that can move automatically.
automaton in British English
(ɔːˈtɒməˌtɒn, -tən)
nounWord forms: plural-tons or -ta (-tə)
1.
a mechanical device operating under its own hidden power; robot
2.
a person who acts mechanically or leads a routine monotonous life
Derived forms
automatous (auˈtomatous)
adjective
Word origin
C17: from Latin, from Greek, from automatos spontaneous, self-moving
automaton in American English
(ɔˈtɑməˌtɑn; ɔˈtɑmətən)
nounWord forms: pluralauˈtomaˌtons or auˈtomata (ɔˈtɑmətə)
1.
anything that can move or act of itself
2.
an apparatus that automatically performs certain actions by responding to preset controls or encoded instructions
3.
an electronic machine, control device, etc. equipped with a computer and designed to operate automatically in response to instructions previously fed into the computer
4.
a person or animal acting in an automatic or mechanical way
Word origin
L < Gr, neut. of automatos: see automatic
Examples of 'automaton' in a sentence
automaton
Her face dead white and stiff as stone, she marched like an automaton over to the chair that Evander had set for her.
MacLeod, Charlotte SOMETHING IN THE WATER (2000)
Then the Cathedral seemed to pull again on the invisible rope, and I found myself moving down the drive like an automaton.
Howatch, Susan ABSOLUTE TRUTHS (2000)
Russell, moving like an automaton, reached under the table and retrieved Nefret's gloves.
Elizabeth Peters HE SHALL THUNDER IN THE SKY (2000)