different between robotic vs waitron

English

Etymology

robot +? -ic.

Coined by American science fiction author Isaac Asimov in 1941 in his short story Liar!.

Pronunciation

• enPR: r?-bot?ik
• (UK) IPA^(key): /????b?t.?k/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?o??b?t.?k/ [?o??b???k]

Adjective

robotic (comparative more robotic, superlative most robotic)

1. Of, relating to, or resembling a robot; mechanical, lacking emotion or personality, etc.

Related terms

Translations

References

• Jeff Prucher, editor (2007) , “robotic”, in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, ?ISBN, page 165
• Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2021) , “robotic n.”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.

Anagrams

• coorbit

English

Etymology 1

Coined as a gender-neutral substitute for waiter and waitress, this is one of the few words with the gender-neutral suffix -ron to have seen much use, probably re-inforced by rhyming with patron. (Some references instead analyse it as using the same "machinelike" suffix -tron as waitron (“mechanical waiter”), but more likely it uses -ron like laundron and like waiter and waitress use -er/-ress not *-ter/*-tress.)

Noun

waitron (plural waitrons)

1. (nonstandard, rare) A waiter or waitress.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:waitron.

Synonyms

• waitperson
• waitstaff (collective)
• server

References

Etymology 2

From waiter +? -tron.

Noun

waitron (plural waitrons)

1. (dated, science fiction) A robotic or mechanical waiter.