What does "bot" mean?
The larva of a botfly, which infests the skin of various mammals, producing warbles, or the nasal passage of sheep, or the stomach of horses.
Bot
/bɑt/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The larva of a botfly, which infests the skin of various mammals, producing warbles, or the nasal passage of sheep, or the stomach of horses.
- Grammar: bot is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: android, automated program, automation, automaton.
- Useful contrasts: flesh and blood, human, human player.
- Usage evidence: Duplicate sentences are occasionally created on Tatoeba. The deduplication bot, Horus, generally takes care of them.
How to use "bot"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bot" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bot" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bot" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bot" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bot" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "android" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bot", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The larva of a botfly, which infests the skin of various mammals, producing warbles, or the nasal passage of sheep, or the stomach of horses.
"One deer, later found to be heavily parasitized by bots, suffered severe vomiting attacks during the early spring."
- 2 The bottom or backside. British, slang
- 3 A physical robot. informal
"I stared at the bot and recognized her for the first time. She was me."
- 4 Initialism of beginning of tape. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 5 botfly larva; typically develops inside the body of a horse or sheep or human wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A piece of software designed to perform a task (often a minor but repetitive one) automatically or on command, especially when operating with the appearance of a (human) user profile or account.
"The goals of IRC bots vary widely, such as automatically kicking other users off or more nefarious things like spamming other IRC users. In this paper, a free standing IRC bot is presented that monitors an IRC channel for commands from a particular user and responds accordingly."
- 7 Initialism of Build–operate–transfer. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 8 A computer-controlled character in a video game, especially a multiplayer one.
"Next, you are placed in the world of RuneScape, which is similar to our own, with trees, grass, buildings, animals, and of course, people. In RuneScapes shops and banks there are bots' (computer-controlled players)."
- 9 Abbreviation of Bǽh-oe-tu. abbreviation, alt-of
- 10 A supremely unskilled player. derogatory, slang
""That lobby was bronze negative 10!" Aydan joked on-stream, noting how easy it felt for his squad. "We got blessed with the lobby. It was such a bot lobby.""
- 11 A person with no ability to think for themselves; (by extension) an unintelligent or contemptible person. Internet, derogatory, often
"The meaning of the word "bot" on Twitter/X seems to have shifted over time, with people originally using it to flag automated accounts, but now employing it to insult people they disagree with[.]"
Verb
- 1 To bugger. British, slang
- 2 To use a bot, or automated program.
"Players caught botting will be banned from the server."
- 3 To ask for and be given something with the direct intention of exploiting the thing’s usefulness, almost exclusively with cigarettes. Australia, informal
"Can I bot a smoke?"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Duplicate sentences are occasionally created on Tatoeba. The deduplication bot, Horus, generally takes care of them."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bot"?
Common synonyms include: android, automated program, automation, automaton, computer opponent, machine.
How do you use "bot" in a sentence?
Duplicate sentences are occasionally created on Tatoeba. The deduplication bot, Horus, generally takes care of them.
How do you pronounce "bot"?
Pronounced /bɑt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Possibly a modification of Scottish Gaelic boiteag (“maggot”).
Etymology 2
From bottom.
Etymology 3
Clipping of robot.