noun-modifying (irregular)
Used before another noun to mean that something works automatically or is an automatic-mode feature.
I set the camera to automatic mode.
This app has an auto-save feature.
I used the camera's automatic settings.
auto; automobile; car-related
As a car-related noun, it is much less common than 車 or 自動車 in ordinary conversation, but it appears in shop names, product names, industry labels, and compounds.
There is a used-car shop called 'Yamada Auto' along the national highway.
I saw an advertisement for a new auto loan.
three-wheeler truck; abbr. of オート三輪
Abbreviation of オート三輪, referring to an older-style three-wheeled truck. This use is limited and historical rather than a normal modern shorthand.
See also: オート三輪
In old materials, オート sometimes appears as an abbreviation for オート三輪, a three-wheeler truck.
This door opens and closes automatically.
オート is a broad prefix meaning 'automatic' or 'car-related', while オートマ specifically means an automatic transmission or an automatic-transmission car, so they are easy to confuse but not interchangeable.
No language of origin is specified. The katakana form corresponds in meaning to 'auto' and 'automatic,' but the exact borrowing history is not specified.
auto show; motor show
auto save
auto-nurse; automated nursing device
autofill