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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
automatic adj 1 said of a machine or device: capable of operating on its own by means of a self-regulating mechanism, and requiring little human control once it has been activated. 2 said of an action: done without thinking; unconscious; spontaneous. 3 happening as a necessary and inevitable result The gravity of the offence meant an automatic driving ban. 4 said of a firearm: able to reload itself and so capable of firing continuously. Compare semi-automatic. 5 said of a motor vehicle: having automatic transmission. noun 1 an automatic firearm. 2 a vehicle with automatic transmission. 3 a washing machine that operates automatically. Compare twin tub, washer-dryer. automatically adverb.
ETYMOLOGY: 18c: from Greek automatos acting independently.
automatic adj 1 said of a machine or device: capable of operating on its own by means of a self-regulating mechanism, and requiring little human control once it has been activated. 2 said of an action: done without thinking; unconscious; spontaneous. 3 happening as a necessary and inevitable result The gravity of the offence meant an automatic driving ban. 4 said of a firearm: able to reload itself and so capable of firing continuously. Compare semi-automatic. 5 said of a motor vehicle: having automatic transmission. noun 1 an automatic firearm. 2 a vehicle with automatic transmission. 3 a washing machine that operates automatically. Compare twin tub, washer-dryer. automatically adverb.
ETYMOLOGY: 18c: from Greek automatos acting independently.
automatic adj 1 said of a machine or device: capable of operating on its own by means of a self-regulating mechanism, and requiring little human control once it has been activated. 2 said of an action: done without thinking; unconscious; spontaneous. 3 happening as a necessary and inevitable result The gravity of the offence meant an automatic driving ban. 4 said of a firearm: able to reload itself and so capable of firing continuously. Compare semi-automatic. 5 said of a motor vehicle: having automatic transmission. noun 1 an automatic firearm. 2 a vehicle with automatic transmission. 3 a washing machine that operates automatically. Compare twin tub, washer-dryer. automatically adverb.
ETYMOLOGY: 18c: from Greek automatos acting independently.
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The Chambers Dictionary (13th edition)
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The unrivalled dictionary for word lovers, now in its 13th edition.
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The Chambers Thesaurus
The Chambers Thesaurus (4th Edition) is a veritable treasure-trove, including the greatest selection of alternative words and phrases available in an A to Z format. -
Chambers Biographical Dictionary
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Thoroughly revised and updated for its 9th edition.




Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
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