Mecha

Short for "mechanical," mecha has two different meanings in Japanese and English.

In Japanese, the term is used to refer to anything mechanical from robots and spacecraft to bicycles and toasters. The robots in Mobile Suit Gundam are mecha in Japanese, and so are the cars in You're Under Arrest.

Some English-speaking fans have repurposed the term to only mean piloted or controlled robots. The variable fighters from Macross and mobile suits from Gundams are prominent examples of mecha in this redefined version of the term.

See also: Mecha Design.