"pertaining to or involving robotics that realistically imitate living things," 1962 (in Walt Disney's audio-animatronic), from animation + electronics. Related: Animatronics.
Entries linking to animatronic
animation n.
1590s, "action of imparting life" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin animationem (nominative animatio) "an animating," noun of action from past-participle stem of animare "give breath to," also "to endow with a particular spirit, to give courage to, enliven," from anima "life, breath" (from PIE root *ane- "to breathe").
The meaning "vitality, appearance of activity or life" is from 1610s (the sense in suspended animation, for which see suspended). The cinematographic sense, "production of moving cartoon pictures" is from 1912.
electronics n.
1910, from electronic; also see -ics. The science of how electrons behave in vacuums, gas, semi-conductors, etc.
*ane-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to breathe."
It forms all or part of: anemo-; anemometer; anemone; anima; animadversion; animadvert; animal; animalcule; animalistic; animate; animation; animatronic; anime; animism; animosity; animus; Enid; equanimity; longanimity; magnanimous; pusillanimous; unanimous.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit aniti "breathes;" Greek anemos "wind;" Latin animus "rational soul, mind, life, mental powers, consciousness, sensibility; courage, desire," anima "living being, soul, mind, disposition, passion, courage, anger, spirit, feeling;" Old Irish anal, Welsh anadl "breath," Old Irish animm "soul;" Gothic uzanan "to exhale," Old Norse anda "to breathe," Old English eðian "to breathe;" Old Church Slavonic vonja "smell, breath;" Armenian anjn "soul."