The Word of the Day comes from "AT THE EDGE OF THE SOLID WORLD" by Daniel Davis Wood. It is shortlisted for the 2021 Miles Franklin Award.
AUTOMATON
noun plural noun: automata
* a moving mechanical device made in imitation of a human being.
"a collection of 19th century French automata: acrobats, clowns, and musicians"
* a machine which performs a range of functions according to a predetermined set of coded instructions. "sophisticated automatons continue to run factory assembly lines"
* used in comparisons to refer to a person who seems to act in a mechanical or unemotional way. "like an automaton, she walked to the door"