aerobot

noun

aero·​bot ˈer-ō-ˌbät 

plural aerobots

: an unmanned aerial or aerospace vehicle

As far as orbiters, landers, aerobots, and sample return missions can take us, there is also a current desire to send people to Mars.

—Kevin Nolan, Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone, 2008

Word History

Etymology

blend of aer- (in aerial entry 1, aero-) and robot

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

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