from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
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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.
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