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automaticity

 - 3 dictionary results

au⋅to⋅mat⋅ic

  [aw-tuh-mat-ik]
Use automaticity in a Sentence
–adjective
1. having the capability of starting, operating, moving, etc., independently: an automatic sprinkler system; an automatic car wash.
2. Physiology. occurring independently of volition, as certain muscular actions; involuntary.
3. done unconsciously or from force of habit; mechanical: an automatic application of the brakes.
4. occurring spontaneously: automatic enthusiasm.
5. (of a firearm, pistol, etc.) utilizing the recoil or part of the force of the explosive to eject the spent cartridge shell, introduce a new cartridge, cock the arm, and fire it repeatedly.
–noun
6. a machine that operates automatically.
7. automatic rifle.
8. automatic pistol.
9. Football. audible (def. 2).
10. automatic pilot.
11. automatic transmission.
12. an automobile equipped with automatic transmission.
—Idiom
13. on automatic, being operated or controlled by or as if by an automatic device.
Origin:
1740–50; < Gk autómat(os) self-moving (see automaton ) + -ic

Related forms:
au⋅to⋅mat⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
au⋅to⋅ma⋅tic⋅i⋅ty  [aw-tuh-muh-tis-i-tee] , noun

Synonyms:
2. Automatic, involuntary, spontaneous all mean not under the control of the will. That which is automatic, however, is an invariable reaction to a fixed type of stimulus: The patella reflex is automatic. That which is involuntary is an unexpected response that varies according to the occasion, circumstances, mood, etc.: an involuntary cry of pain. That which is spontaneous arises from immediate stimuli and usually involves an expression of strong feeling: a spontaneous roar of laughter.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To automaticity
au·to·mat·ic   (ô'tə-māt'ĭk)   
adj.  

    1. Acting or operating in a manner essentially independent of external influence or control: an automatic light switch; a budget deficit that triggered automatic spending cuts.

    2. Self-regulating: an automatic washing machine.

    3. Acting or done without volition or conscious control; involuntary: automatic shrinking of the pupils of the eyes in strong light. See Synonyms at spontaneous.

    4. Acting or done as if by machine; mechanical: an automatic reply to a familiar question.

    5. Capable of firing continuously until ammunition is exhausted or the trigger is released: an automatic rifle.

    6. Semiautomatic: an automatic pistol.

    1. Acting or done without volition or conscious control; involuntary: automatic shrinking of the pupils of the eyes in strong light. See Synonyms at spontaneous.

    2. Acting or done as if by machine; mechanical: an automatic reply to a familiar question.

    3. Capable of firing continuously until ammunition is exhausted or the trigger is released: an automatic rifle.

    4. Semiautomatic: an automatic pistol.

    1. Capable of firing continuously until ammunition is exhausted or the trigger is released: an automatic rifle.

    2. Semiautomatic: an automatic pistol.

n.  

  1. An automatic machine or device.

    1. An automatic firearm.

    2. A semiautomatic firearm.

  3. A transmission or a motor vehicle with an automatic gear-shifting mechanism.

  4. Football See audible.


[From Greek automatos : auto-, auto- + -matos, willing; see men-1 in Indo-European roots.]
au'to·mat'i·cal·ly adv., au'to·ma·tic'i·ty (-mə-tĭs'ĭ-tē) n.
Word History: The words automatic pilot or automatic transmission bring to mind mechanical devices that operate with minimal human intervention. Yet the word automatic, which goes back to the Greek word automatos, "acting of one's own will, self-acting, of itself," made up of two parts, auto-, "self," and -matos, "willing," is first recorded in English in 1748 with reference to motions of the body, such as the peristaltic action of the intestines: "The Motions are called automatic from their Resemblance to the Motions of Automata, or Machines, whose Principle of Motion is within themselves." Although the writer had machines in mind, automatic could be used of living things, a use we still have. The association of automatic chiefly with machinery may represent one instance of many in which we have come to see the world in mechanical terms.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: au·to·mat·ic
Function: adjective
: happening or existing through the operation of a preexisting arrangement that is triggered by some event; specifically : happening or existing through the operation of law <automatic reversal> automatic appeal> —au·to·mat·i·cal·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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