(used to form nouns with the sense ‘a robotic or automatic ——’)
Sensitive detectors must be probing the skies, to make sure no roboplanes or other solar craft were passing overhead.
Even if that population were completely uniform, the sheer complexity of administrative detail is inconceivable—why, if all government services from legislators to postmen added up to only one percent of the total, and no government has ever been that efficient, that would be some ten to the thirteenth individual beings in government! Robocomputers help some, but not much.
He crawled into a cupshaped robo-taxi and let the plex dome clamp down over the seat.
There'll probably only be robodiggers or something on it, but maybe we ought to hang around to check it out.
There’s a robobus due by in about fifteen minutes, that stops at the hospital.
The recruits are as still as mice with an extra gene, transfixed in the glare of a robocat.
The robocop turned to her as she stood there. It was probably scanning her for any kind of tech so that it could digitally send her a ‘Welcome to RoboTown’ message.
antedating 1945
A.E. van Vogt, "World of Null-A"
OED entry revised June 2010, with van Vogt's 1945 citation listed as the earliest.
Last modified 2021-03-18 22:05:27
In the compilation of some
entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
in OED.