automat

noun
/ˈɔtəmæt/US

Etymology

Borrowed from German Automat, as the system was originally developed in Germany in the late 19th c. Doublet of automaton.

  1. borrowed from Automat

Definitions

  1. A vending machine for food.

  2. A cafeteria consisting of vending machines.

    • People from all levels of society ate in Automats at least occasionally. Movies often cast their cosmopolitan stars dropping coins in Horn & Hardart's slots, and tourists felt compelled to visit an Automat.
  3. Alternative letter-case form of automat, in particular one operated by Horn & Hardart.

    • When King George sat down in Perylon Hall he thrust his gray topper under the chair, just as you do when you're in the Automat.
    • Breaking away from the traditional self-service policy of the Automats, which has been followed since the company was organized in 1911, the new restaurant will mark Horn & Hardart's first expansion in the New York area since 1938.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for automat. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA