Wordwyrt

automaton

/ɔːˈtɒməˌtɒn/aw-TO-muh-ton
/ɔˈtɑməˌtɑn/aw-TAH-muh-tahn

Meaninga self-mover

Common meaning: a machine that moves by itself

Other meanings: a robot

Journey through time

  1. Greekαὐτός (autós)‘self’
  2. Englishautomaton‘a machine that moves by itself’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós) ‘self; the same’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry αὐτός (autós), p. 135 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

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