Android. An android is a robot designed to resemble a human, usually both in appearance and behavior. The word derives from the Greek andr-, meaning "man, male", and the suffix -eides, used to mean "of the species; alike" (from eidos "species"). Though the word derives from a gender-specific root, its usage in English is usually gender-neutral; the female counterpart, gynoid, is generally used only when female gender is a distinguishing trait of the robot. The term was first mentioned by Albertus Magnus in 1270[1] and was popularized by the French writer Villiers in his 1886 novel L'?ve future, although the term "android" appears in US patents as early as 1863 in reference to miniature humanlike toy automations.[2] Thus far, androids have largely remained within the domain of science fiction, frequently seen in film and television. However, some humanoid robots now exist. The word droid, a robot in the Star Wars universe, is derived from this meaning.