android

noun

an·​droid ˈan-ˌdrȯid 

: a mobile robot usually with a human form

sci-fi androids

Examples of android in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The tiny mollusk Fuzz set the Vulcan android on autopilot and flew inside Zeph’s body suit and took control of it, killing him and planting evidence on Garrett. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 24 Jan. 2025

The warm and fuzzy feeling of seeing a few familiar faces in the first season evaporated because of a frequently confusing plot about androids. —Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025

Maciej’s work at Clone has been instrumental in building the software that powers their androids, including a teleoperation system that allows precise robot hand control through proportional muscle actuation. —Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025

Entertainment Weekly has your exclusive look at the latest trailer (above), which reveals for the first time that Josh's girlfriend Iris (Heretic's Sophie Thatcher) is an android designed to be the perfect, subservient partner. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

earlier androides "automaton having a human form," borrowed from French androïde, perhaps borrowed from Late Greek androeidḗs "in the form of a man, like a man," from Greek andr-, anḗr "man, husband, human" + -oeidēs -oid entry 2 — more at andro-

Note: The word may equally well have been formed in post-medieval Latin, but evidence is lacking. An early English instance can be found in The History of Magick by way of Apology, for all the Wise Men who have unjustly been reputed Magicians (London, 1657), a translation, by "J. Davies," of Apologie pour tous les grands personnages qui ont esté faussement soupçonnez de magie (Paris, 1625) by the French librarian and scholar Gabriel Naudé (1600-53). The French word occurs earlier in Le mastigophore, ou precurseur du Zodiaque ([Paris]: 1609), a satirical work by the priest Antoine Fuzy/Fusi (1560-1629). Both authors use androïde in connection with the legendary talking automaton devised by albertus magnus, without any suggestion that the word was a neologism.

First Known Use

circa 1736, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

android

noun

an·​droid

ˈan-ˌdrȯid

: a mobile robot with human form

Medical Definition

android

adjective

an·​droid ˈan-ˌdrȯid 

1

of the pelvis : having the angular form and narrow outlet typical of the human male

a disproportionate number of difficult labors occur in women with android pelvises

compare anthropoid entry 1, gynecoid, platypelloid

2

: relating to or characterized by the distribution of body fat chiefly in the abdominal region

android obesity

compare gynecoid