Android

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈænˌdɹɔɪd/

Definitions

1. A humanoid robot designed to resemble and mimic human appearance and behavior
2. A mechanical being constructed to resemble a human in form and capable of performing tasks through programmed or autonomous actions
3. An artificial automaton designed with human-like physical features and built to execute functions independently or under control

Etymology: The Greek word "andreios" meant "manly," and "eidos" meant "form" or "shape," so "androeidēs" literally meant "human-shaped." Ancient Greek used it in a plain, descriptive sense for something that looked like a man, and the word lay dormant for centuries before scientists and writers revived it in New Latin as "androīdēs." English borrowed the word directly from that New Latin form, so it is a learned coinage from classical roots rather than something inherited through ordinary speech. The "andr-" part comes from the Greek root for man, and "-oid" comes from the Greek suffix meaning "resembling," as in "asteroid" (star-like) or "humanoid." The word's sense of a made machine built to look like a person came later, as the idea of artificial people moved from myth into fiction and engineering.

Synonyms: robot, automaton