Meanings
plural throwbots
- computingA small, throwable robotic device, typically used by military and law enforcement for reconnaissance and situational awareness.
The remote-controlled throwbots can retain their upward position upon landing after being pitched over walls and into isolated areas. […] A throwbot is remotely controlled by troops to go into buildings and give a live feed of the environment before troops enter the building to minimize casualty.
2023 October 26, Rojoef Manuel, “British Army Trials Situational Awareness Technologies in Urban Warfare Training”, in The Defense Post, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2024
Origin
From throw + -bot or a blend of throw + robot, likely coined to rhyme with robot. Originally a trademarked name for a robot model by the company ReconRobotics, but by the 2020's it started to become a genericized trademark. (It was also a name for an unrelated toy product line by the Lego company.)
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
throwbot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throwbot
“throwbot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throwbot. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throwbot,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throwbot.
Source: throwbot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.