android

android — noun

1. the software system used on many smartphones, tablets, watches, and other touch-

1.nounB1
Definition

the software system used on many smartphones, tablets, watches, and other touch-screen devices.

Example

My old tablet still runs Android, even after six years.

run + Android

The school app works on Android but not on older iPhones.

on Android

Common collocations
  • run Android
  • update Android
  • Android app
  • Android watch
  • on Android
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

run/use/update + Android

Android + on + [phone/tablet/watch]

Usage Note

Uncountable when you mean the software. Distinguish from sense 2, where 'an Android' usually means a phone or other device running this system.

Common Mistakes

My new phone is an Android system.
My new phone uses Android.
in this sense, 'Android' names the software, not the device.
I downloaded an Android on my watch.
I installed Android on my watch.
do not use 'an' before the operating system name.

2. a phone, tablet, or similar device that runs Android.

2.nounB1
Definition

a phone, tablet, or similar device that runs Android.

Example

My brother bought an Android because the camera was better.

buy + an Android

Rita switched from an iPhone to an Android last month.

switch to + an Android

Common collocations
  • buy an Android
  • cheap Android
  • used Android
  • fix an Android
  • switch to an Android
Synonyms
  • Android phone

    the most common everyday use, but narrower because it excludes tablets and watches.

  • Android device

    closest match in careful writing because it covers more than phones.

  • Android tablet

    specific subtype when the device is a tablet rather than a phone.

Grammar Patterns

buy/use/fix + an Android

switch from + [iPhone] + to + an Android

Usage Note

Countable in everyday speech, especially for phones. Distinguish from sense 1, where 'Android' refers to the operating system itself rather than the piece of hardware.

Common Mistakes

I prefer Android because it uses Android apps.
I prefer an Android because it uses Android apps.
this device sense is countable in singular use.
My tablet uses an Android.
My tablet uses Android.
use sense 1 when you mean the software inside the device.

3. a machine controlled by a computer and given a human body or face, especially in

3.nounB2
Definition

a machine controlled by a computer and given a human body or face, especially in stories about the future.

Example

The film's android smiled, spoke softly, and fooled almost every passenger.

android acting like a person

Engineers in Seoul built an android that could pour tea for visitors.

build + an android

Common collocations
  • lifelike android
  • build an android
  • program an android
  • android face
Synonyms
  • humanoid

    emphasizes human shape; it can be an adjective or a noun.

  • robot

    broader term for a machine that works automatically; many robots do not look human.

  • automaton

    more formal or literary, often suggesting stiff, mechanical movement.

Grammar Patterns

build/program + an android

an android + walks/speaks/looks

Usage Note

Often used when the machine is meant to resemble a person closely. Distinguish from the broader word 'robot', which can also describe machines with no human shape.

Common Mistakes

The factory uses androids to move boxes all day.
The factory uses robots to move boxes all day.
'android' usually suggests a humanlike shape, not just any machine.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

These words overlap, but they point to different ideas. A robot is the broadest term: any machine that can do actions automatically, whether it looks like a car arm, a toy dog, or a person. An android is narrower: it is a robot designed with a human appearance. A humanoid is close to android, but it focuses more on shape than on how the machine works, and it can also be an adjective. A cyborg is different again: part human, part machine, rather than a fully built robot. Think of the contrast this way: a factory robot lifts boxes, an android greets visitors, a humanoid machine walks on two legs, and a cyborg has both flesh and metal.

android ↗robot ↗humanoid ↗cyborg

Etymology

GreekEnglish

The word was formed in English from Greek parts: 'andro-' meaning 'man' or 'male' and '-oid' meaning 'having the form of' or 'like'. It first referred to something shaped like a human male, and later became a common science-fiction word for a human-looking robot. In the 2000s, Android was also chosen as the name of a mobile operating system, which led to the later device sense as well.