nanobot

noun

nano·​bot ˈna-nō-ˌbät How to pronounce nanobot (audio)
plural nanobots
: a microscopically small robot : a robot built on the scale of nanometers
Many newspaper articles about nanotechnology seem obsessed with the idea of nanobots, itty bitty robots that dash about doing useful tasks and maybe (just maybe) getting out of control and destroying the world …Pat Murphy
Another technology that will greatly enhance the realism of virtual reality is nanobots: miniature robots the size of blood cells that travel through the capillaries of our brains and communicate with biological neurons.Ray Kurzweil
In one section of the book, [Eric] Drexler speculates about what could happen if we created self-reproducing "nanobots."Keith Veronese

Examples of nanobot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Furthermore, robotic arms and nanobots reflect Feynman’s vision of machines working at small scales to drive efficiency and enabling innovations in fields like medical devices and nanotechnology. Gerui Wang, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 The nanobots are wind chimes, but my sound designer, Trevor Gates, really went wild. Simon Thompson, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Giant leaps forward have been made in cardiac devices, electrosurgical instruments and even nanobots. Jim Pursley, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 The technology is nearly here for all kinds of machines, from unmanned aerial vehicles to nanobots to humanoid Terminator-style robots. Denise Garcia, Foreign Affairs, 10 May 2014 Stories often touch on topics like space travel, benevolent robots, disease-curing nanobots, and deep-sea exploration. Andrada Fiscutean, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2023 Bill Joy, co-founder and former chief scientist of Sun Microsystems, has warned that of out-of-control nanobots could consume everything on earth. Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 1 Sep. 2010 Will early research into nanoscale materials ultimately allow terrorists to unleash killer nanobots in urban centers? Steven Johnson, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2023 No Time to Die sees the retired British superspy pulled back into the game by old ally Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to hunt down the scientist behind a deadly new nanobot weapon. Wired Staff, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

nano- + bot entry 1

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nanobot was in 1989

Dictionary Entries Near nanobot

Cite this Entry

“Nanobot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nanobot. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on nanobot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!