bot

¹ American  

[bot] / bɒt /

noun

1. Digital Technology. a software program that can execute commands, reply to messages, or perform routine tasks, as online searches, either automatically or with minimal human intervention (often used in combination): a customer service chatbot to answer product questions.

   a social media bot retweeting certain posts;

   a customer service chatbot to answer product questions.

2. Informal. a robot.

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bot ² American  

[bot] / bɒt /

Or bott

noun

1. the larva of a botfly.

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bot ³ American  

[bot] / bɒt /

noun

Australian Slang.

1. a person who cadges; scrounger.

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bot. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. botanical.

2. botanist.

3. botany.

4. bottle.

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B.O.T. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Board of Trade.

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bot ¹ British  

/ bɒt /

verb

1. to scrounge or borrow

2. to scrounge (from); impose (on)

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noun

1. a scrounger

2. wanting to scrounge

   he's on the bot for a cigarette

bot. ² British  

abbreviation

1. botanical

2. botany

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bot ³ British  

/ bɒt /

noun

1. computing an autonomous computer program that performs time-consuming tasks, esp on the internet

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bot ⁴ British  

/ bɒt /

noun

1. the larva of a botfly, which typically develops inside the body of a horse, sheep, or man

2. any similar larva

3. informal a mild illness in humans

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BOT ⁵ British  

abbreviation

1. Board of Trade

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bot Scientific  

/ bŏt /

1. A software program that imitates the behavior of a human, as by querying search engines or participating in chatroom discussions.

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Etymology

Origin of bot¹

First recorded in 1985–90; bot ¹ def. 2 first recorded in 1965–70; shortening of robot

Origin of bot²

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; akin to Dutch bot, Frisian dialect botten (plural); further origin unknown

Origin of bot³

First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps shortening of botfly

Example Sentences

Giving a bot a long list of instructions will be easier than keeping track of whether it followed through correctly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

For a period, users could tag the bot in posts to request image generation and editing, receiving the image in a reply from Grok.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

The bot boom in academia writ large puts on display the insecurity of students just as much as it does their laziness.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

It’s one thing for a bot to suggest you save more and another for a bot to have access to your checking account and the power to spend from it.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

His brothers, sisters, half-siblings, grandma, and her all-too-perfect husband, who Rowan suspected might actually be a bot.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman