automaton

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(Gr.) Something that moves by itself.

Often used to describe a mechanical device, or, in theoretical computer science, a hypothetical discrete state machine describing a system of transitions between states or configurations, possibly with some additional processing; examples are the finite state automaton, the pushdown automaton, the Turing machine, Petri nets, Markov chains.

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.

So great and admirable an automaton as the world. Boyle.

These living automata, human bodies. Boyle.

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.

 

© Webster 1913.