Automatons

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Automaton \Au*tom"a*ton\, n.; pl. L. {Automata}, E.
     {Automatons}. [L. fr. Gr. ?, neut. of ? self-moving; ? self +
     a root ma, man, to strive, think, cf. ? to strive. See
     {Mean}, v. i.]
     1. Any thing or being regarded as having the power of
        spontaneous motion or action. --Huxley.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              So great and admirable an automaton as the world.
                                                    --Boyle.
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              These living automata, human bodies.  --Boyle.
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     2. A self-moving machine, or one which has its motive power
        within itself; -- applied chiefly to machines which appear
        to imitate spontaneously the motions of living beings,
        such as men, birds, etc.
        [1913 Webster]