Word
mecha
/ˈmɛkə/
Definition
n. a large robot that is controlled by a person sitting inside it. You usually see these in science fiction movies, video games, and Japanese cartoons.
n. a large, pilotable robotic vehicle or suit, typically humanoid in form, appearing as a staple of science fiction and anime.
Examples
“The pilot climbed into the mecha to prepare for battle.”
“In many science fiction stories, a mecha is depicted as a walking tank that requires a highly skilled human operator to control its movements.”
“The genre often explores the psychological bond between the pilot and the mecha, suggesting that the machine is an extension of the human body rather than just a vehicle.”
Examples
simple
“The pilot climbed into the mecha to prepare for battle.”
contextual
“In many science fiction stories, a mecha is depicted as a walking tank that requires a highly skilled human operator to control its movements.”
complex
“The genre often explores the psychological bond between the pilot and the mecha, suggesting that the machine is an extension of the human body rather than just a vehicle.”
Usage
Often used as a collective noun for the genre itself or as a countable noun for individual robots.
Real-World Examples
“Called mechas, these larger-than-life robots have what it takes to save the day.” “The Tsubame Archax might be the answer. This is, quite simply, a Gundam fan’s dream made a reality: a 15-foot-tall, $3 million mecha that works just like the real thing — well, minus a few pesky details like jet boosters, laser swords, and the neural interfaces explored in many of Gundam’s various (and conflicting) timelines.” “After a few unsuccessful attempts to introduce anime to France in the early 1970s, the arrival in 1978 of mecha (ie robot) cartoon Goldorak on A2, one of the country’s three public TV stations, was the breakthrough.” “Korea Future Technology has engineered the METHOD-1 mecha, a fully articulated bipedal robot designed to accommodate a human operator.” Etymology
From Japanese メカ (meka), from an abbreviation of the English mechanical.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.