robot
UK[ˈrəʊbɒt]US[ˈroʊbɑːt]
n
A machine that can perform a complex series of tasks automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.
n
A person who acts in a mechanical, unemotional manner.
Etymology
The word 'robot' was introduced to the English language from Czech, specifically from Karel Čapek's 1920 science-fiction play "R.U.R." (Rossum's Universal Robots). Čapek derived it from the Czech word 'robota', meaning "forced labor, drudgery" or "serfdom," which itself traces back to the Old Church Slavonic 'rabota' ("servitude"), and ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European root 'orbh-', indicating separation from one's group, which led to concepts of servitude and slavery. The term's journey from a Slavic term for feudal servitude to a global term for automated machines perfectly encapsulates the concept of mechanical entities performing labor on command, a core theme of Čapek's play that shaped its modern meaning.
Analysis
The word 'robot' is a simplex loanword from Czech. It is not productively segmented into smaller meaningful parts within modern English spelling.
Examples
The factory uses industrial robots to assemble cars.
After hours of repetitive data entry, he felt like a mindless robot.
The robotic vacuum cleaner is a popular household robot.