bots

[bots] /bɒts/
noun, (used with a plural verb) Veterinary Pathology
1.
a disease affecting various mammals, especially horses, caused by the attachment of the parasitic larvae of botflies to the stomach of the host.
Origin
1780-90; plural of bot1; see -s3

bot1

[bot] /bɒt/
noun
1.
the larva of a botfly.
Also, bott1 .
Origin
1425-75; late Middle English; akin to Dutch bot, Frisian dialect botten (plural); further origin obscure

bot2

[bot] /bɒt/
noun, Australian Slang.
1.
a person who cadges; scrounger.
Origin
1915-20; perhaps shortening of botfly

bot3

[bot] /bɒt/
noun
1.
a device or piece of software that can execute commands, reply to messages, or perform routine tasks, as online searches, either automatically or with minimal human intervention (often used in combination):
intelligent infobots; shopping bots that help consumers find the best prices.
Origin
1985-90; shortening of robot
Examples from the web for bots
  • Eye-bots take a look around and locate interesting objects.
  • Foot-bots then give hand-bots a ride to places identified by the eye-bots.
  • In fact outside of using the bots, if they were to simply play the game and sell the items gained, it would be good business.
  • No ranters and ravers, script bots, or clandestine political operatives allowed.
  • bots, the millions of compromised computers remotely controlled by crooks, are doing more than spreading spam and phishing.
  • The century bots to crawl around and shoot with you is a lot of fun.
  • And their circles also were inflated with ciphers and bots.
  • Consumers demand more and fancier computer functions, creating more spaces for viruses and bots to hide.
  • Obviously transport bots are only a small step in the journey to fully automated warfare where no humans are involved on our side.
  • In these, bots carrying cameras trek down narrow-diameter pipes hundreds of meters underground to search for survivors.
British Dictionary definitions for bots

bots

/bɒts/
noun
1.
(functioning as sing) a digestive disease of horses and some other animals caused by the presence of botfly larvae in the stomach

bot1

/bɒt/
noun
1.
the larva of a botfly, which typically develops inside the body of a horse, sheep, or man
2.
any similar larva
3.
(NZ, informal) a mild illness in humans
See also bots
Word Origin
C15: probably from Low German; related to Dutch bot, of obscure origin

bot2

/bɒt/
verb
1.
to scrounge or borrow
2.
(intransitive) often foll by on. to scrounge (from); impose (on)
noun
3.
a scrounger
4.
on the bot, wanting to scrounge: he's on the bot for a cigarette
Word Origin
C20: perhaps from botfly, alluding to the creature's bite; see bite (sense 12)

bot3

/bɒt/
noun
1.
(computing) an autonomous computer program that performs time-consuming tasks, esp on the internet
Word Origin
C20: from (ro)bot

BOT

abbreviation
1.
Board of Trade
Word Origin and History for bots

bot

n.

in Internet sense, c.2000, short for robot. Its modern use has curious affinities with earlier uses, e.g. "parasitical worm or maggot" (1520s), of unknown origin; and Australian-New Zealand slang "worthless, troublesome person" (World War I-era). The method of minting new slang by clipping the heads off words does not seem to be old or widespread in English. Examples (za from pizza, zels from pretzels, rents from parents) are American English student or teen slang and seem to date back no further than late 1960s.

bots in Medicine

bot (bŏt)
n.

  1. The parasitic larva of a botfly.

  2. bots A disease of mammals, especially cattle and horses, caused by infestation of the stomach or intestines with botfly larvae.

bots in Science
bot
  (bŏt)   
A software program that imitates the behavior of a human, as by querying search engines or participating in chatroom discussions.
Related Abbreviations for bots

bot

small computer program (from "robot")

BOT

  1. back on topic
  2. beginning of tape
  3. Board of Trade