Definition of automaton Automaton
/ɔtɑˈmʌtɑˌn/ - [otamutan] - au•tom•a•ton
We found 12 definitions of automaton from 7 different sources.
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What does automaton mean?
WordNet
NounPlural: automata |
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| automaton - a mechanism that can move automatically | ||
| robot, golem | ||
| mechanism the technical aspects of doing something; "a mechanism of social control"; "mechanisms of communication"; "the mechanics of prose style" | ||
| automaton - someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way; "only an automaton wouldn't have noticed" | ||
| zombi, zombie | ||
| unusual person, anomaly (astronomy) position of a planet as defined by its angular distance from its perihelion (as observed from the sun) | ||
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Wiktionary 
- automaton (Noun)
A machine or robot designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions. - automaton (Noun)
A person who acts like a machine or robot, often defined as having a monotonous lifestyle and lacking in emotion. - automaton (Noun)
A formal system , such as finite automaton . - automaton (Noun)
A toy in the form of a mechanical figure.
Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘
- automaton (v. i.)
Any thing or being regarded as having the power of spontaneous motion or action. - automaton (v. i.)
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.
OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω
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automaton
A self-operating machine or mechanism.
Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕
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automaton
aw-tom′a-ton, n. a self-moving machine, or one which moves by concealed machinery: a living being regarded as without consciousness: the self-acting power of the muscular and nervous systems, by which movement is effected without intelligent determination: a human being who acts by routine, without intelligence:—pl. Autom′atons, Autom′ata.—adjs. Automat′ic, -al.—adv. Automat′ically.—ns. Autom′atism, automatic or involuntary action: power of self-moving: power of initiating vital processes from within the cell, organ, or organism, independently of any direct or immediate stimulus from without: the doctrine that animals are automata, their motions, &c., being the result of mechanical laws; Autom′atist, one who holds the doctrine of automatism. [Gr. automatos, self-moving—autos, self, and a stem mat-, to strive after, to move.]
Wikipedia 
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An Automaton (one automaton, several "automata") is a concept from mathematics. Sometimes the concept is called "state machine". It is like an abstract machine.
Such a machine can be given "input", which is either rejected, or accepted. Its like one of those vending machines. When something is bought, coins (or money) needs to be inserted into the machine. If these are the right coins, they are accepted, and the requested item is dropped so it can be removed. If the coins are wrong, they are rejected.
Internally, the automaton has different "states" it can be in. Feeding it input may (or may not) change its state. That way, the automaton goes through all the input, consuming one item (Which mathematicians call symbol) at a time. When no symbol is left, the automaton is in a certain state. This may be an "final state". In this case the input is accepted. Otherwise, the input is rejected.
If the machine has a countable, finite number of states, it is called "finite state machine". A diagram that shows all the states, and transitions of such a machine is called finite state diagram.
Problems.
Like in real life, there are machines that are too complex to understand. The mathematician and computer scients therefore ask themselves if a certain automaton is "minimal". If it is not minimal, there must be another automaton with fewer states that can do the same thing.
An example of an automaton is the Turing machine
Part of speech
🔤- automaton, noun, singular of automatons / automata.
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