Animatronic describes moving models built to look like real animals or people, with motors, wires, and often a computer hidden inside, used in films and theme parks. A dinosaur that turns its head on a studio set; a pirate that speaks in a show. The method — making and using those models — is often called animatronics, with an s. People also say “an animatronic” for one of the models. The word is a blend of animate (make it seem alive) and electronic. Though actually, this is not a cartoon and not ordinary computer pictures: there is a real object in the room, even when cameras and computers help. A drawn or CGI character is animation; a physical model that blinks and breathes on stage is animatronic. You will hear the adjective most: animatronic dinosaurs. The process-word with -s is what film and park people use when they mean the whole craft.